Scenes
by T-Rexxy
Summary: What happened after Gru saved Lucy from crushing into the volcano? How are they dating? What happens between the two of them and within the 147 dates they had before they marry eventually? Scenes from how Gru and Lucy fall in love and become the couple they are today, Fluff, Romance, Emotions, maybe smut-ish? Who knows... - GruxLucy - Rating may change!
1. Beginnings

_Lucy…_

_Lucy…!_

"Lucy! Lucy, vhere are you?"

Cold limbs gushing through the water, with his heart pounding in his throat, he looked everywhere for her. The hard, numbing throbs in his head from the previous explosion made it hard to breathe, lungs clenching, hardly deflating or filling though the coldness of the ocean.

He didn't care. He didn't even bother to keep himself up at the surface, for if he had to dive, he would. No hesitation.

She wasn't there, he couldn't see her! Gru started to panic; What if the explosion hit her so hard it had broken bones inside her body, made her go fainting and slowly sinking into the depths of the sea? Or worse – what if she died?

Gru could feel how small and vulnerable he suddenly appeared in the middle of the sea, while the volcano in the background imploded, magma gushing out of the opening and flooding the beaches of the small island.

Was he really alone…?

Was she gone…?

Suddenly, bubbles on the surface, stirring water.  
With a loud gasp, Lucy appeared on the surface, keeping her head up to gulp in the air. She was alive…

"Lucy!" Gru didn't hesitate to swim up to her, helping her to stay up at the surface, as a shriek echoed in his already dull ears and arms flung around his neck, pulling him down with a force he hadn't bided, body sinking back into the water.

Quickly, he breached the surface again to gasp for air. And luckily, he wasn't the only one.  
"Oh…I'm sorry, totally forgot you need your arms to keep you up…"

Lucy chuckled awkwardly. With said arms, the man grabbed her hands and pulled her to him as close as possible. She was alive. That was all he cared about right now. Looking back into her eyes, his heart continued to pound loudly. But not out of exhaustion. Not from the fading shock of losing his dearest Lucy.

No, these green eyes which he had thought he'd never see again were looking back at him. And he was lost in them, as a smile appeared on each other's faces. Lips barely parted, he struggled with the words we wanted to direct to her. It was so much he wanted to tell her, so much his thoughts rearing up in is mind, but the voices of the minions echoed above the water, turning his head, the yellow henchmen were paddling in their little boat – straight past them.

With a little chuckle, he looked back to her, seeing the same amused smirk on her face.

A shrug was his comment.  
"Dhey'll be back…"

...

"Gru!"

Three little girls, scared and worried for their fathers life, ran up to the tall man, dropping their guns and equipment to fall into his arms.  
Kneeling down to pull them tightly against him, Gru held his three kittens, soothing and comforting and assuring them he was alive.

"We thought you were dead…" Agnes whined and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He gulped, not daring to think of what would have happened if he was. Would they be sent back to Miss Hatties…?

"Oh, baby-gurl…" he kissed her hair, stroking over her head. "I'm here, I'll never leave yu again…"  
All three of his children were starting to cry, even Margo.  
"P-Pinky promise you'll never leave us?"  
Gru looped his arms around them, comforting them, humming soothing sounds to stop their crying.

"Shhh…yes, my pinky promises…"

Lucy stood just some meters away from them, watching the little family's reunion and couldn't help but smile. These girls totally adored him. They loved him like children loved their parents, unconditionally. With all their heart.

And he did the same.

A pang in her heart shook through her body as she felt herself falling even deeper in love with this man, who gave these three children the love and care they needed, held and comforted them, and promised he'd never leave them.

She continued watching them, and even continued as Lucy was sitting on a small barrel, filled with the ammo for their jelly-pistols, on his big metallic ship, flying over the ocean back to the AVL's headquarters.  
He was lying between his three daughters, nuzzled in a blanket to keep them warm, holding them in his arms and the smallest of them nuzzled against his chest, tiny hands clawing into his sweater as if she made sure by herself he wouldn't move away from them, no matter what happens.  
It was amazing. Close to crazy what these girls had accomplished, how much they had changed him to the core of his heart. She had witnessed this man – he was rude, grumpy, he didn't hesitate to steal the moon to suppress mankind. He was a villain. But to these girls, he was a hero. An authority, and even more important – a father.

Lucy's heart filled with pure pride and love for this little family. She knew she wasn't a part of them, nor could she imagine that Gru ever wanted her to be. Yet she felt an inner longing to become one. She wanted to stay with them. She wanted to care for them. And if it was her destiny to protect Gru and his children from harm, she wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Twitching in her dreamy state, she saw Agnes stirring in her sleep, shivering from the cold wind that blew inside the vehicle. Slowly moving from her seat, she snuck close to the sleeping father and his daughters, took the duvet to pull it over the youngest little body.

She was so peaceful there on his chest, feeling safe and sound in his presence, exhausted and happy that her Dad was alive.

With a smile, Lucy carefully moved back to her seat, as she heard a thin, small voice.

"Lucy…?"

Lucy turned to see Agnes being awake, blinking to the redhead. "I'm sorry sweetie, did I wake you up?" – "Mh-mh!" Agnes shook her head. "I was just relaxing my eyes…"

A yawn escaped her lungs. Smiling, Lucy caressed Agnes head. "Go back to sleep, hon. Don't worry, I'll make sure your Daddy won't move from your side." Agnes smiled absently minded. "That's nice of you…"  
And for a longer while, silence returned, just the casual sound of the turbines outside of the ship were echoing in the metallic stomach of the vehicle.

"Lucy…?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're alive." Agnes blinked a few times, before smiling at her. Lucy gave a small chuckle, before moving closer to Gru again to speak silently to the blackhaired girl.

"Aw, Agnes…I'm glad you guys came to save me in the first place. I saw you fighting against these vicious purple munchkins, you guys did a-w-e-s-o-m-e!" she mused. "You were literally blowing them away with your pistols and then your Dad came to free me from the rocket, and…hehe…he even asked me what I'd say if he asked me for a date and-"

"He loves you, Lucy…"

Lucy paused after realizing herself she was starting to trail off with her giddy reconstruction of the story, but now that she heard the girls words, she could feel her own emotions dropping for a second.

Gru…_**'loved'**_ her?

A sudden warm, tingling feeling inside her stomach vibrated, making her muscles form into a knot before releasing again, heat seeped inside her cheeks. It was a beautiful imagination – but she was quite sure it wasn't true.

"Oh, Agnes. I'm sure he likes me, I really do like him back, but – I'm sure he doesn't really 'love' me, don't you think? It's probably more of a…love between friends or colleagues, or-"

"But he told me so…"

Lucy's heart suddenly fluttered inside her chest.  
"O-oh…he did?" she tried to play it off cool without bursting from all the emotions bubbling up inside her.

"Yes…you should have seen him that other day. He woke up like he was the happiest person in the world, and then he came back home, and he was so down…" Agnes stretched her arms.

"And then he told me that I was right when I said Gru likes you, and that he really likes you, and that he cannot like you, because he never was going to see you again. So I told him to ask you for a date."

She couldn't follow the girls speech word by word, but she realized she was talking about the day she told him that she was send to Australia.  
And that he had tried to ask her for a date.

Not making an effort to sound confident at all, for her heart was already melting slowly by the story she heard, she breathed: "B-But why didn't he just…call me…?"  
"He was scared…I don't know why, but in the end, he was just so unhappy that you'd leave…"  
Agnes suddenly opened her eyes again, looking back at the redhead. "Lucy…will you really leave us?"  
Lucy glanced between Agnes and Gru.

"I don't want you to leave us, Lucy. You're so cool and Gru loves you and—I don't wanna see him so down in the mouth again without you. And you still gotta marry, you can't do this when you're in Australia, can you?"

She was sure it was her innocence speaking out of the girl, but whatever this was true or not – it just left Lucy so dumbfounded and in awe, that she couldn't stop staring at Gru.

He was still sleeping, lids pressed together, hiding these pretty blue pools in his eyes, his facial features so relaxed and peacefully that it just made him more beautiful with every second.

He really _loved_ her…?

He was feeling down and depressed because she would have left?  
He tried to call her and couldn't dare…?  
He wouldn't want her to leave him…?

Something inside her wanted to grab him and hug him, kiss him and promise she'd never, ever leave him again, but Agnes asked her a question.

"Lucy…?" she asked again, insecurely.

"No…" Lucy suddenly shook her head. "N-No, Agnes, I – I won't leave. I won't leave for Australia…" She assured her, patting her head gently. The small girl smiled and nuzzled her face back into the sweater of her father, eyes closed and body relaxed over Lucy's answer.

"Good…"

...

"You won't leave for Australia…?"

Silas stared distraught at his agent.  
"Miss Wilde, I have set all the applications and formulas at your office in Australia, everything was planned and now you crawfish out?"  
Rubbing his temples, he glared at the redhead next to the bald man with the ridiculously long nose.  
"Don't tell me Mister Gru has something to do with your decision!"

Lucy sunk in her chair, and with a glance over to her partner, she could see he was doing the same.

Once Gru ordered Nefario to bring the girls and the minions back home, the two of them quickly reported Eduardo as arrested and headed to the headquarters.

But now that Lucy had brought the subject on the table, Silas quite content was flushed away by the irritation on his face.

"No." Lucy answered after a while. "No, my partner has nothing to do with this, he didn't ask me to do, nor did he manipulate anything to make me do this. But I am seeing myself not ready for such a step yet. Actually – not at all."

Not at all? Gru frowned, looking back at her.

What did she imply with that? She was supposed to go, although Gru was tempted to beg Silas to let her stay.  
"May I ask how this comes?" The obese director eyed them both with skeptical eyes.

Lucy started fumbling with her fingers. How should she frame this without sounding too manifesting towards Gru? After all, that little talk she had with his daughter was their little secret.

"Well, Sir…" she mumbled, before taking up the guts to speak in a confident voice.  
"There is something that is still to be done for me. Something, that is far more important than this mission. More important than my job…"

"Lucy…!" Gru tried to hush her up before she'd probably be fired by Silas, but Ramsbottom just pursed his lips, suddenly realizing what she was talking about. The way Lucy was looking back at the man next to her, the man she had spend the last two months together on this mission.

He was aware that it was the ex-villain who saved the world and rescued his best agent, and as it seems, it wasn't just out companion- or friendship.

Lucy smiled comforting at Gru. "It's okay…" she whispered in his direction, smiling even wider as she assumed she was getting his drift. But as it seems, he wasn't at all.

"Fine…" the silence was broken by Silas sighing stressed, leaning back in his chair as his butler arrived to refill his teacup.

"Miss Wilde, I have sent you to this plane once, and you jumped out of it without even hesitating, out of the simple reason that you wanted to see Mister Gru again – I guess this will happen just on and on, no matter how often I'll force you to move there…"

A sparkle of hope gleamed inside Lucy. She could stay? She could stay here in Pasadena with Gru and his children?!

Jumping in her seat, she looked over to him, whispering giddy words of happiness. And even Gru stopped playing cold and serious for a second, pure relief marked in his face. She was going to stay!

She was going to stay with him and the girls!  
"Whatever this means to both of you, I also may inform you that you can continue popping up here in future, Mister Gru."  
"-Vait, me?" Gru looked away from Lucy, back at Silas with a confused look on his face.

"Are you sayin' I'm –"

"An official member of the AVlL, yes. It's almost a shame to admit, but – yes, you happen to prove yourself as incredibly helpful in this case, which makes you both the best agents in the entire organization. It would be a huge loss to our agency to 'not' have you in our team."

"You mean we both would be partners forever?"

Both Lucy and Gru asked in unison, and Silas nodded.

"Indeed…"

...

"Isn't that amazing?!" Lucy jumped on the spot, the wooden planks beneath her shoes creaking from her happy walk.

"If you'd join the AVL, we could become partners in crime – well, actually more like partners in law, and fight against criminals and all kind of thugs and thieves and then we'll clobber them and –"

She turned on her heel, seeing Gru watching her with his hands behind his back and an amused smile on his lips. Indeed, that idea was great. But what was even more appealing was that he would share these moments with her together.

She paused for a longer while than intended, blushing over that smile and clearing her throat.

"Well, uhm, to make it short – it's going to be awesome."  
"Yeah, it wuld…"  
"Are you going to join? Silas let this open for you after all."  
"Hmm…" Gru shrugged feebly, forming a smile. "Honestly, Silas didn't seem so happy about dis idea. He probably doesn't like to see us around togedher."

Lucy blushed over that thought. Together…  
"He rarely likes to see agents around him with…committed relationships. He likes to stay professional."

Committed relationships…  
Did Silas see their relation as solid? Like – they were a couple? With the whole hugging and kissing and other stuff - thing?  
Not that Gru wouldn't like this idea, but – he wondered if Lucy would like this stuff at all. With him…

Once again, he gulped. No. He was just no in her league to think about this. She was brave, funny, beautiful – and what was he? Nothing special. And not that much of a pretty sight as well.

Never had a human being – except his kids – seen him as something so important that they could seriously fall in love with him.  
Lucy noticed the shift in his eyes.

"Hey…are you okay?"

"Huh – oh…yes, I am! Excuse me!" Gru shook his head and pushed the bad thoughts out of his mind, being replaced by a new feeling when Lucy was walking closer to him than ever before. Hands barely touching, but he felt hers nudging his from time to time, and an awkward silence grew between the two of them as they headed back to the streets so he could bring her home.

Lucy kept secretly admiring him from her angle. He was so sophisticated, and elegant, and all she thought of was what his daughter told him.

_'He loves you, Lucy…'_

"U-Uhm…Gru…?" the redhead broke the silence again, hastily, and she definitely hadn't intended to be this way.

"When you asked me how I would react if you asked me out for a date – I said yes."

Gru didn't look at her, suddenly feeling heat seeping up his cheeks.

"Well, uhm…what would you have said if I asked you the same?"  
"I-I-uhm…"

He hesitated. He stammered!  
She'd definitely think he'd struggle with words to formulate that he wouldn't be interested, although he was trying to imply the exact opposite.

"We-well, uhm…I wuld have said yes at instant."  
"Really…?"  
Gru nodded swiftly.

"Heh – that's good to hear! Well…do you think you'd even like to go out with someone like me…? I mean – there are so many other great and nice and…way more beautiful women than me outside this world and from all of them you asked ME…"

She started to chuckle awkwardly, and Gru heard that trail of certain bitterness in her voice that made his heart heavy. She didn't think that she was beautiful? Or good enough for him…?

He stopped, grabbing her wrist out of reaction.  
"Bu-But Lucy, you're…you ARE pretty, and you ARE worth being asked out, after all –"

And then the words left him. He was realizing in what kind of situation he brought himself, holding her hand and looking deep into her eyes and feeling his heart pound so loud.

A sigh escaped his lips.

"Lucy, if you'd know how I felt all dhe way vhen you vere gone, vhen I tried to ask you out – I felt just as you – unworthy, ugly, awkward, vhatsoever – like I'd never even deserve somebody like y—"

Suddenly, his voice was blocked by something pressing against his lips.

Hands have grabbed his scarf around his neck and pulled him so close to Lucy, her face just inches away from his, kissing him deeply and all Gru could do was giving a small surprised sound, before closing his eyes and responding. She kissed him…His heart was pounding in his throat, butterflies fluttered in his stomach; automatically, he looped his arms around her frame and pulled her in closer as their kiss grew deeper, Lucy giving satisfied little sighs.

They didn't speak; there was nothing to speak about as they shared soft and deep kisses, clinging to each other to their dear life.  
It didn't take long until Lucy drew back again, hands letting go of his scarf and to spare some awkwardness, Gru did the same.  
Giggling slightly, Lucy made fan-like movements with her hand to cool down her blushing face, giggling slightly at the sight of Gru's lips, covered in her red lipstick.

"This was for rescuing me…" she said after a while, seeing Gru's dreamy look in his eyes over them both just sharing kisses like this. Lucy grabbed her purse and looked down on the ground.

"Well, uhm…I think I can walk alone from here back home…th-hank you again for…well…saving me from this crazy El Macho man."  
"N-No problem…" Gru had his hands behind his back again, fiddling with his fingers nervously.  
"So…uh…when are you free? I'd have time around this weekend, we could go to watch a movie or go and have dinner somewhere…"  
"Sounds good." Gru nodded.  
"Well…uhm…then I guess…I'll see you then." Lucy looked back at him and smiled, before she turned around and left, walking down the streets back to her little apartment.


	2. First Date - Worst Date ?

**Date #1**

_The jacket fits, the tie was properly folded, the watch sparkled on his wrist – looking good, Felonious._  
_Haven't seen you in a suit for quite a while._

Standing in front of the big mirror, Gru examined his appearance. The black suit over his broad shoulders with the casual white shirt beneath, a blue tie around his neck made him look like he was about to leave for a very important event – well, he was. Today was the first time he was going to meet with Lucy. He could tell, he was excited!

Just some days have passed since Gru rescued her from El Macho and his devilish plan to shoot both of them into an active volcano. It felt like years that he waited for this day that he would go on his very first date. Not just first date with Lucy. But date in general. Always having trouble with people, especially people of opposite genders, he had already struggled hard with even calling Lucy back then to ask for a date – and did not manage to do so. And today he and she were going to have a romantic dinner, with candle-lights somewhere in a fancy restaurant where they could perhaps share some stories and facts about each other, the little things they didn't know from the other, and also perhaps some more kisses? Or even further…?

He shook his head. Wow, he was already having quite ideas about how the evening would end, after all, it was just a dinner, some hugs and in the end they'd go their own ways once again.

The longer he stared at himself in the mirror, the more he felt like he was just looking ridiculous in this drag. He wasn't a gentleman, nor was he charming or even had such confidence to wear a suit for a dinner with a nice lady!

What if Lucy wasn't as fancy suited as he? Would she laugh? Would she find him ridiculous and even embarrassing to be in his accompany?

Gulping harshly, he quickly pulled out the jacked and the tie and sunk back on the bed with a frustrated sigh. The anxiety of former experiences were getting the best of him. Somewhere deep inside of himself, he thought: What are you even doing? This woman is pretty, amazing, and she deserves nothing but the best – not an old, bald, ugly guy that never really spoke to a woman before, nor went on dates.

"I can't du dis…" he hissed to himself. "Darn, I really can't du dis…"  
"What is it you can't do?"

Gru looked up to see his three daughters in the doorframe, glancing back at their father in worried matters.  
"You look quite down in the mouth – not a good condition to walk a girl for a dinner."  
"Don't you like to go out with Lucy?" asked Agnes.  
Gru just chuckled and motioned them to come inside the room.  
"Nah, nah it's not dat, keetten…I du like Lucy and I'm really lookin' forward to dis date, but –"  
"But you're scared!" asked Edith with a witted smile on her face.  
"Scared? Pff!" Gru rolled his eyes. "I'm not scared! I'm jus' – uncertain if dis entire thing is a good idea after all. Yu see, I wonder if she even wuld be interested in a man like me at all…"

"But why shouldn't she? After all, you'll marry each other."

It wasn't anything her father was shocked about to hear anymore, but more like he grew weary of hearing it. Agnes was so fixed on her wildest fantasies of her Dad being engaged to the redhead, that it even started to affect her older sisters.

"Honey, I told yu a thousand times – we're jus' workin' togedher. And today, we're jus' havin' a dinner and some chatter and dhen we'll see vhat will happen between dhe both of us."  
"Will you tell her you love her?"  
"Agnes, I – " Gru sighed. "I can't jus' go and tell her I love her. Dat wuld be inappropriate!"  
"Why?" – "Because…because yu dun't tell somebody such stuff right away."

"Agnes, come on, give him a break." Margo pulled the youngest to her side to keep her calm. She had her nose wrinkled with folded arms. "This entire love-thing is just stupid."

Gru sighed again and smiled at her, before he looked back into the mirror. "Yu guys really think I shuld go like dis? Vith dhe tie and dhe shirt? Vhat if she laughs me down?"  
"She won't! Lucy is not such a type of person, is she?" Margo comforted her father.  
"Not really…," he admitted. "And vhat if she does…?"  
"You never give a damn about what people think of your appearance - why now?"  
Edith hung upside down from the large bed-end, the cords of her pink beanie tickling Gru's nose.  
"Because…" Gru swayed the thin strands away from his face with a flick of his hand. "…dis is not some ordinary night. I'm goin' out vith Lucy on a date! I'm supposed to look as good as possible."  
"But you are good looking, just the way you are!"

Gru looked at Agnes and Margo, seeing them smile at him, and he sheepishly smiled back.  
"Yu – yu guys think so?"  
"Yes. Yes we do!"

A sudden struck of confidence made him rise up from the bed, Hand grabbing the tie to stare a the mirror into his face once again.  
Lucy wouldn't have asked just anybody for a date! She had chosen him!  
"Yeah…yeah I am!" he agreed.  
"I'm good lookin'! Am I right?" he turned around to his daughters with a smirk.  
"Vho's good lookin' dis evenin'?"  
"You." They answered.  
"Vho's yur good lookin' daddy?"  
"You-hou!" The trio answered in unison, slightly annoyed.  
"Dat's right! I'm goin' to go outta dhere and show Lucy who's a good lookin' Daddy today!"

They were right! He didn't care what he looked like! Where was his confidence? He knew Lucy admired him, and he was sure she would love to see at least one of her dates being confident enough to be not ashamed to pop up in a suit in front of her! Women love men in suits, don't they?

"Uh-oh!" he winced when he looked at his watch.  
"Gotta go! I'll tell yu how it vent dis evenin'! And remember; Vho's good lookin'?"  
"Still youuu!" They called almost angrily, and only heard the door close shut tight downstairs as Gru vanished to pick up his date.  
"Is it just me or is he always cracking up completely when it's about Lucy?" Edith asked soberly, looking between her sisters.  
"That's because they are in love!" Agnes cheered, dancing around, calling several 'he loves her, he loves her' in the hallways.  
"_Eww…!_"

Waiting punctually before the cozy small Italian restaurant, she looked on her watch from time to time, tugging on the black, most fancy dress she had in her tiny wardrobe. It was half eight – did he forget about the date? Would he pop up eventually? Or did he dump her after all, like these other men she had had before, asking them for a date.  
No…she wouldn't believe it. She couldn't. She knew he was enough of a man to meet her here – or at least tell her he wasn't interested in her.

Clinging to her purse, she looked down her body. Black, strapless dress with high, red shoes, her hair up in her usual bun, nails painted in the fitting red shade. She was aware that it was going to be a casual evening, and yet she felt like she was just coming from a prom night.  
What if Gru wasn't as fancy suited as her? Would he laugh? Would he find her ridiculous and even embarrassing to be in her accompany?

She always had the feeling like she was a crazy teenager, compared to him. He was so…so sophisticated and graceful and even though people would probably only see the taints of him, the nose that may or may not was longer than some people, or the darkish shades beneath his eyes, or the lack of hair – she found he was quite a handsome guy! And not only this – she had witnessed his rough, and soft, happy and sad sides, and with each side she discovered from him, she could feel that she was getting more and more attached to him.

In the distance, she noticed the large, dark vehicle approaching, ruthlessly parking over three free parking lots and knocking over some other cars, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh. And when Gru jumped out of the door, she could hear her heart pouncing inside her chest happily.

He was suited in his usual jacket, but the sweater and scarf were replaced by a dark blue tie and a white, soft shirt. Wow…did he look good!  
"Gru, here! Over here!"  
Excited, she waved her hands around until Gru saw Lucy in the distance, before quickly jogging up to her. "Lucy, wow, yu…yu look _good!_"  
She blushed. That was the first thing he said when meeting her? She felt his eyes over her and with a blush and a giggle, she beamed at him.  
"Same goes to you, Gru. You should wear suit and tie way more often, you know?"  
Gru rubbed his neck awkwardly, biting his lip.  
"And uh…yu shuld wear black dresses too more often – yu look marvelous in black."

After a while of awkwardly and silently blushing over each other's compliments, she started to look back in his eyes.  
"Now, uh, hope you're hungry!"  
"Oh, uh – yes I am!" - "Good!"  
And with that, she quickly grabbed his arm to drag him towards the restaurant.

It was the same one he was with Shannon some weeks ago, and honestly, had the worst date that a man could have.  
"Brings back Memories, huh?" she grinned at him. "Dun't remind me." he replied, smiling weakly.  
"Oh, don't you worry, Gru. This'll be better, I promise."  
She didn't even need to promise him – he knew it would.

...

As they entered, the couple kind of – froze.

They remembered the restaurant to be way more posh than this here. The hall was filled with elder people, people in wheelchairs and old cardigans, playing chess or reading books, laughing, drinking beer, telling about their grandchildren – some even slept in some corners, while others seemed to have more power over night than in the morning. Nobody, absolutely nobody, was even as fancy as they were. Awkward glances were exchanged as they insecurely moved inside.

"Wow, well, this is awkward." She mumbled towards him. "I totally forgot that they invited the retirement home for free meals today."  
Gru blinked. He was somewhat both astonished and quite happy his mother seemed not to be present amongst the elders. Not even they could bear her.  
"Well, uh – shall we see if we can get to anodher restaurant around dis town?"  
"I already reserved our table." She said in a helpless, whispered whine as a very buoyantly waitress met them in the entrance. But that expression softened up again as she saw the way younger couple grinning abashed at her.

"Oh, uh – you're not from the retirement home, are you?"  
"N-No, actually – we reserved a table on Lucy Wilde." The waitress looked up on a list and nodded.  
"Well, your table is still free. It's number thirty one!"

"Ah, O-okay, thank you." Lucy grabbed Gru and moved to the table, settling down and eyeing her surroundings. Some elder people looked at them critically, while others were eyeing them with delighted faces, probably over seeing the semi-younger pair on a date that reminded them of their days when they were younger, which made Gru slightly uncomfortable. He liked the attention of awe and amazement – but certainly not of adoration by others.

"God, I feel so out of place." She mumbled, shamefully looking back at him. "I'm sorry, I really didn't know –"  
"I-It's okay, Lucy, dun't worry." He comfortingly smiled at her briefly, nervously tugging on his tie.

Dang, they had dressed up and dolled themselves up, just to see that their fancy candlelight dinner in their fancy four-star premise was filled with not-so-fancy dinosaurs.  
"I'm honest – I was a bit ashamed of putting this dress on, because…I don't know, I felt like prettying myself up like this isn't my style, and now – I feel just so embarrassing sitting around in that drag."  
"Re-really?" Gru stammered, and couldn't help but laugh feebly. "I'm honest – me too. I have—"  
"Here are the menus …sir…"

The waiter suddenly appeared with two menus in his hand and was quite surprised upon seeing that today a pair of non-elders was present too. He apparently made such a strange face, that Lucy looked between Gru and the waiter, before she started giggling. Her giggles moved to a louder chuckle before she started laughing. For a moment, the young employer was helplessly moving his mouth up and down, wanting to say something but not sure what.

Lucy's voice pierced through every conversation between the elder people, making them look up from their card – and chess games, woke up from their sleeps and their concentrated reading and looked at the gorgeous redhead in the middle of the restaurant, laughing so genuinely and happily. Gru looked back at Lucy in a matter of confusion. Was she laughing at the staff? Or at his previous statement? But as she opened her eyes again to look at him, her face happily beaming at him, he felt his lips curling into a smile, then in a grin and after a while, into a small and low laughter too.

If there was one thing he started liking about her the most – then it was her laughter.

...

"Well, besides dhe strange atmosphere, dhe attention we drew to ourselves and dhe food tastin' like it was half-digested already – dhis vas nice!"  
Lucy bashfully turned to him to smile a bit, her arms around her form while she silently walked next to him back to her apartment that was in the close by. "Well…yes it was." She nodded, looking away from him. He noticed this of course, yet not quite sure how to mention her behavior and informing her it was rather strange after he laugh-fit back in the restaurant.  
"I guess we kinda left dhe waiter quite confused back dhere…"

She still didn't answer and now was the time Gru honestly started to become nervous. Was she unhappy? Was she not enjoying this evening?  
Carefully, he raised his hand to gently touch her upper arm.  
"Lucy, uh…are yu okay?"

After a while, Lucy sighed deeply, before looking back at him with an apologizing glance.  
"You must think I'm completely immature, right?"  
Immature…? Why immature? He would call her a lot, all positive sides and what made him fall in love with her at first hand – but immature was not on the list.  
"—L-Lucy, I dun't! Vhy shuld I think yu're immature?"

"Well… there are better dates like these…more fancy and expensive and – where you're not surrounded by old people staring at you like you're an attraction on a freakshow. And, ugh – Who am I kidding? I naively thought I'd have to press my body in this way too small dress and stupid high heels to fit into these richer standards!"

He watched her reaching down to her feet to pull off the red shoes, tiptoeing over the cold, wet asphalt.  
"Way better." She chimed at him with a smile.  
"But to come back to your question – I, uhm…I was nervous. I really was."  
Gru was mildly surprised she admitted it just right away. If she only knew how nervous he was all the way.  
"I was nervous because, you know…" she shrugged. "It had been a while since I was…on dates."

"Same here…" Gru muttered, looking down at the ground. He felt both slightly sad by reality, otherwise he was just more than astonished how easy he found it to speak with her about such matters.  
"But however dis was a bad or a good date – or jus' somethin' in between – it vas fun, vasn't it?"  
Lucy looked into his eyes with a weary smile on her lips. "Yes…yes it was."  
"And dun't worry; yu're not immature at all! I work every day vith a whole bunch of immature ..."people" _("minions")_ almost everyday." –" and with a long pause, he eventually added: "I-if dat makes any difference…"

"Of course it does…" she placed her hand on his shoulder and Gru winced by her touch. It was still somewhat strange to receive such physical contact by somebody else than his family and minions.  
"So…I assume this was better than your last one here?"  
Gru involuntarily remembered the so-called "date" he had with Shannon and nodded.  
"Definitely…!"

Lucy smiled warmly at him, as he shrugged off his coat to place it around her shoulders as soon as he noticed she was shivering slightly by the chill of the evening. Grabbing the ends, she held it tightly around her, it was cozy and warm from his body, and it even wore his smell.

"Aren't you going to feel cold?" she asked, but he shook his head. She wasn't sure how she should thank him, but her free arm touched his elbow that made him cringe softly again, before she snaked it down to his free hand, feeling his warm and gentle hand and entwining her fingers with his, her palm pressing against his own.

Gru looked down, a bit astounded, but after some hesitation, he tenderly squeezed hers in his own, walking down the street, hand in hand.


	3. Raindrops

**Date #6**

Their sixth date. He couldn't believe it was real – the two of them had dated six times by now, almost every week twice and by now, they didn't even had to ask for a next date – it was going to happen eventually and came naturally. Either Gru or Lucy called and arranged something, and every time it was the same for both like the first time: What to wear, where to go, what to do to not disgrace themselves in front of each other. By now at least Lucy had her anxieties under control, but she was highly aware that Gru was still terribly shy and carefully around her. That was cute. That was nice. But it definitely couldn't say like this.

Whenever she noticed he was staring at her and looked back at him, he acted like he was looking at something past her, so she wouldn't notice him eyeing him.  
And every time she did the same, he just turned his head away, blushing and jokingly trying to make her stop. And ever since their first date, he didn't dare to hold her hand again – and she had stopped being the initiative one about this. Not that she didn't like it, but she knew he had trouble with such things, so she thought that maybe he needed some space – and some more training regarding confidence around her.

And especially noticeable was, that he kept moving his fingers behind his back. She had seen the hand-gestures he made around people and his own daughters, they were always moving, never resting – but being around her, they shook slightly, like he was always terribly nervous. Yet his appearance was so calm and tranquilly, that she sometimes even feared he was bored by her.

But she knew he wasn't.

Once they had been eating and walking outside to a beautiful little park, Lucy kept looking up at him. Almost majestically, he moved next to her with his arms behind his back and his alert, crystal blue eyes roaming over the court, tiredly blinking a few times. What seemed like a big black spot of emptiness and depression next to her was something that kept her heart beating fast right now, filling every spot in her body with happiness and joy.

They strolled down the lantern lit street into the park, the warmth of the day keeping the air fresh and sultry and the touch of tender fingers on her knuckles made her shoulders twitch in excitement. Was he doing what she thought he was doing?

She didn't look down, but she bit her lips, feeling Gru's fingers gently gliding over the back of her hand, running his fingers into the spaces between hers, where they seemed to fit just perfectly. He was holding her hand!

Looking down at their entwined fingers, she smiled, glancing back up at him.  
"Uh…I-Is dis okay?" he asked, insecurely.  
"Yes!" she replied with a grin, almost whispering, as she squeezed his back to encourage him.  
She giggled internally. How was a guy like him so tender – so insecure?

He could plan mischievous schemes, could steal a moon and protect and rescue her and his children from even worse villains – but he couldn't hold a woman's hand without asking for permission. If she wasn't so modest, she would have wrapped her arms around his torso to draw him close to her, but for now, holding his hand was good enough for her.

"You know…" Lucy said, starting to sway their hands gently in unison. "You're actually quite lucky to date me."  
_I certainly am,_ was a thought that lingered in Gru's mind, but all he did was cocking an eyebrow and smirked at her.  
"Well, dat's quite confident to say."  
"Oh – no, no, I mean –" she blushed. "I mean that it doesn't happen often I…well…go on dates with people that often anymore."  
"How come?"

"Well, many men I went out with kind of – dumped me just shortly afterwards. It has been going now for some time – I've learned to get along with that fact, but…I am still quite lonely sometimes. It makes you feel used and not good enough. Like it always is your own fault you're not capable of keeping relationships alive."

Gru pondered over her words for a while, silently nodding sometimes. He could tell – he never even had a relationship that lasted long enough to ask them out on a date – there were some cases he vaguely remembered, but…

"I'm sorry, Lucy…"

His thumb gently caressed her knuckles in a matter of comfort, but stopped after a while as Lucy showed no response. Gulping, his grip around her hand loosened, but she suddenly clung to him, literally begging him to stay.

"It's alright." Her face lit up instantly, looking back at him with a smile. "I'm just glad I've learned from my mistakes, and now – I just choose people I trust the most that they won't hurt me." She turned away again, smiling widely once she recalled these words of his daughter:

_'He loves you, Lucy'_

Gru tightened the grip around her hand, showing her his gratitude and reassurance that he'd never dare to hurt her, as his mind and eyes started to work for their own. He couldn't help but stare at her, her beautiful red hair, curly and neatly groomed, her shoulders gently swaying back and forth with every step, her long, thin neck, the soft skin and the cute freckles on her cheekbones and shoulders – he was tempted to touch, to graze his fingers through the mane of locks and feel how soft they really were, but he kept admiring. Her thin, yet athletic body, hands clutching to her purse and to his own hand, her beautiful green eyes staring at the ground in shyness. There was even a healthy shade of pink on her cheeks as they moved through the dark park. He could stare at them forever, get lost in the bright green colors – how wonderful they were, compared to his very own.

Eyes kept traveling down to her nose and her lips, which were curled in a smile, and the sudden urge to kiss her grew bigger and bigger. Once it became almost unbearable, he stopped walking for a second and Lucy turned around to look at him.

"Gru, are you okay?" Gru opened his mouth to speak, before suddenly a loud rumble interrupted him, a sudden light emerged from the sky and just seconds afterwards, rain dripped down on them before they increased to literally pour down.

"Oh, Curses!" Lucy exclaimed, holding the purse over her head to beware herself from getting wet.  
"Come on, let's quickly get some dry spot to stay beneath!"

Gru nodded, quickly taking Lucy's hand and arm to drag her through the park, running down the street and both couldn't help but laugh loudly. Rain soaked through his scarf and into his jacket, but he quickly tried to find shelter from the cold wind blowing and the water falling down on them.

The evening was dark and so was the surroundings – he couldn't make out spaces that weren't touched by rain and water and wind, but eventually, he found a big oak, which large branches stuck out, keeping the ground dry and literally offering them shelter with wide, welcoming arms.

"Quick, under here…"  
He dragged her to the trunk of the tree, both pressing their bodies flush against it to spare themselves as much rain as possible through the large and thick crown of the oak.

Eventually looking at each other, they started grinning and giggling over the damage the rain had caused them – Gru's scarf was soaking wet, water rinsing down the fabric and his jacket wasn't looking any better. The wind caused him to shudder slightly, noticing that his sweater was as well sticking cold and wet to his skin.

Lucy's hair was messy, curls springing from each side of her head, the bun slumped down from the wet, heavy hair, some mascara running down her cheeks and her dress was sticking tightly to her body, and as Gru suddenly noticed the form of her undergarment beneath the green-blue dress, he started chewing on his lower lip, before looking back into her eyes.

"That wasn't planned, huh?" she said, smiling nevertheless. Gru shook his head briefly, taking off his scarf to squeeze the water out of the fabric, yet taking small glimpses back at her.

He could see the wet dress revealing her bare form beneath, her flat belly and her soft, seductive curves, her hip-bones sticking out slightly with every movement she made while getting her hair fixed. Her rips moved beneath her skin, grazing it sometimes, and he couldn't help but looking further up her body, up to her chest, where the small texture of her bra was visible. They weren't pretty big or full, but it was enough for Gru to swallow, soothing his dry mouth.

Lucy wouldn't admit it, but – she noticed the way he was looking at her. His eyes wandered over her in admiration, and she blushed deeply over the thought that he would actually like her body. She never saw herself as beautiful. She hadn't had the biggest breasts there were, nor a pretty face – and people made fun of redheads. But knowing that he was eyeing her like this made her think she was admirable after all.  
Gru quickly wrapped the still wet scarf around his neck and joined Lucy back under the tree, but his eyes were still on her face.  
"Well, that spared the shower for me tomorrow, haha." She laughed, looking back at him. "Are you cold?"

He didn't answer. He just stared at her with an expression of – tenderness. Before Lucy could even notice it, heat seeped up in her cheeks, her fingers started to tingle, as she looked back in his pretty, gleaming eyes, falling into them like into a pool of blue colors. What was he thinking about?

Did she dare to ask? She felt like she needed to ask, so, she was silently muttering: "Gru…?"

His hand carefully placing itself on her shoulder and slowly running over her neck was his answer. Lucy would have jerked in surprise, but his touch…it was making her brain go numb. He was remarkably tender, carefully, almost like he was afraid of hurting her by touching. And something in his eyes just didn't let her go, shuddering beneath his fingers grazing her cheeks to brush away a streak of wet hair.

Gru couldn't tell if it was the cold or herself shuddering slightly by his touch, but he knew that as soon as his palm was cupping her cheek to lean in softly, that he had managed to follow him suit. Her eyes closed as she tilted her head just barely, as suddenly, the bushes behind them started to rattle and shake and both jumped in surprise as a dark figure emerged from the thicket, standing in front of them in an alert position – ready to attack.

"Empty your pockets, lovey-doveys!" the figure growled in a hoarse, smokey voice, roughed by alcohol and cigarettes.

Both stared in shock at the man, and Lucy was about to grab Gru's arm to drag him away, away from this guy, but she was pushed back behind him by his hand.

"Or vhat?" Gru growled back, eyes narrowing at the man in front of them, and he could feel Lucy hiding behind him, grabbing his arm and blinking over his shoulder at the other.

He was tall, almost as tall as Gru was. He was suited in dark, ragged clothes, a beanie on his head, his face covered in mud and scars and he reeked of urine and dead animals.  
And he held a little object in his hand which she couldn't determine by name.  
"You wanna play?" the stranger suddenly flicked his hand, and Lucy gasped at the sight of a knife flipping in the man's hand. He gulped.  
Not good! He had left all his weapons back home, even his freeze-ray!  
"Let's fucking play…!"

"Gru!" Lucy pulled Gru back, urging to run away with him, but he didn't move, and none of them were sure if it was out of shock – or stubbornness.  
"I said gimme your goddamn wallets, or you little doll here will pay!"  
A sting ran straight through his body as he heard Lucy shriek in fear behind him, clutching to him, probably too shocked and startled to show confidence right now. Adrenaline zinged through his blood – his protective-instincts kicked in.

"Dun't yu dare touchin' her…!" he hissed at him, making a step towards him.  
"If yu come any closer to her, I'm goin' to send yu straight back from vhere yu came, yu leetle punk!"

But the other just gave a guttural sound, close to a mischievous laughter that gave Lucy the creeps.  
"Let's see 'bout that, y'old Bastard!"

And within a second, the stranger dashed forwards, lifting his arm with the knife to sink it straight into Gru's body. He tensed up, still not leaving from Lucy's side.  
Gru suddenly pushed Lucy aside, jumping to the side as he dodged the attacker. Lucy stumbled but caught hold of the treetrunk as she saw him fighting the attacker. Making quick dodges from the knife's blade, he clenched his fist to punch the other straight against his nose, Gru breathing heavily as he watched him groaning in pain – yet not dropping his weapon.

Hastily grabbing inside the pockets of his coat, he tried to find any weapon he perhaps had forgotten to put in the lab back home and still carry around, but before he even had the time to search through the other side of his jacket, the stranger was up on his feet again and started a new attack, leaving Gru defenseless.

And then everything, weirdly, stopped. The stranger let out a strangled cry as he stood right where he was, his body trembling hardly, literally quivering, limbs twitching uncontrollably, he dropped his knife as little blue electric strings fluttered around his body.

Just seconds later, he dropped flat on the ground like a chopped tree, leaving Gru terribly confused.

_**"Lipstick Taser!"**_

And with that, Gru turned to Lucy, who held the little red tube in her hand, breathing heavily and eyes gleaming in both relief and excitement. "Thanks…" Gru gasped almost breathlessly. And without her answering, she quickly rushed up to him to examine him.

"Did he hurt you? Any bruises or cuts? You feel dizzy?"  
She roamed her hands all over his body, looking for a hint of any wounds he had carried from the short fight. Tensing up again, Gru just gently grabbed her by her wrists.  
"Lucy, Lucy, calm down, I'm okay!"  
"Oh, thanks god." She stopped as her hands rested on his cheeks, brushing away some dirt and rain from his face as she bit her lips, brows furrowed in worry, then she drew him into a hug, and after a long while of surprised blinking and staring, he heard her whisper.

"I thought you'd die…"  
He opened his mouth to speak, but this shut him up just completely. She was scared of his life…?  
Gently placing his arms around her, he hugged her back, carefully cradling her head to press it gently into the crook of his neck.  
"Oh Lucy…" he whispered. "Dun't worry, I'm fine! Takes more dhan dis Greenhorn to knock me over, …but…thanks for helpin' me out…"  
After some seconds that lasted like almost an eternity for both, embraced by each other's arms and held tightly against their bodies, she drew back, smiling at him.

"See? That is the trick! First shooting, and then announcing your weapon."  
He laughed at that. "Well, maybe I shuld first learn to always carry a weapon vith me."  
"Maybe…"  
And then, she cupped his cheek again, looking deep into his eyes, slowly leaning in to plant a short kiss on the corner of his mouth.  
Gru parted his lips just barely, turning his head so their lips were touching, feeling each other's breath, still staring into their eyes, admiring and sinking into them, he gently gave her bottom lip a nudge and both merged together, mouths pressed against each other in a short encounter.

Insecurely drawing back, Lucy put her hands onto his cheeks and pulled him back, kissing him again, her eyes closed and savoring the feeling that spread inside her guts. Tingles, butterflies, everything tickled and fluttered in her stomach and with slight gasp in delight, she felt him answering, his arms still around her and drawing her close, one cradling her head to deepen their kisses, the other pressing on her back to keep her close, keeping her away from running off his grasp. As if she'd ever do.

Her fingers gently drew patterns over his cheek, thumb brushing gently over his cheekbones and teasingly rubbing the spot beneath his earlobes, making him chuckle and draw back.

"Vhat are yu doin'…?" he whispered, somewhat out of breath from their kisses.  
"S-sorry…it was tempting." She admitted and chuckled into her hand, before placing her lips against him once again, giving short and happy kisses.

"So…I assume we'll just kiss every time we save each other's life, huh?" Lucy said as she drew back, hands resting on his shoulders and beaming up at him with a cocky smile.  
"Well, dat wuld mean I'd have to save yur life a whole lot – 'cause I want to repeat dis."

Grinning from ear to ear, the couple gave breathy laughs and spend the rest of the evening with standing beneath the tree, waiting for the rain and wind to stop, sharing sweet and careful kisses, and they didn't even notice how their previous attacker woke up to flee back into the thicket, before the lady would start to lipstick-taser him again.


	4. Babysitting

**Date #18**

"And yu're sure yu wanna du dis?"

Gru had his head tilted, fumbling nervously with his fingers behind his back. Lucy smiled at him, reaching for his jacket to adjust it and pull the zipper up to his chin.  
"Gru, I am! This gives me a great opportunity to bond a bit with the girls and you have some time off to relax."  
"Huh, I wish I culd relax…" Gru shrugged.  
"Whatever – you go now, I'll keep an eye on your precious ones."

With a sigh, the man smiled back at her. He was relieved Lucy was willing to watch over Agnes, Edith and Margo while he was out on the AVL's application conference. This was the evening where it was decided if he was going to become a member of the agency or not – and it was more than important he popped up there. He had agreed eventually to become a firm member, and due to Nefario being too busy with the minions to clean up the lab, he had nobody to watch over them. He knew that Margo was able to keep an eye on her sisters and herself – but he simply couldn't leave them alone in this big house for the evening. So, he had no other choice but to ask Lucy if she had time to look after them – and once again, she was like the angel to help him out of a problematic situation.

"Okay, dhe gurls must get to bed around nine, dinner is in dhe fridge and all yu have to du is watchin' evenin' cartoons and movies."  
"Hey Gru, don't worry. This is not my first babysitter job." She winked at him.

The girls stood behind the doorframe, watching them and Edith stuck out his tongue.  
"Eww, look! They are in love…!"  
Margo and Agnes giggled.  
"Come on now, and good luck."  
"Thanks…a'right Lucy, Gurls – I'll see yu later!"

And with that, he turned around and vanished in the door, leaving Lucy and the girls alone in the big, spooky house. Lucy was honest – she was quite astonished by his serious taste in style – she had been here already, watched a movie with him or ate dinner with him ( he was the best cook she knew and really preferred eating dinner with him than having food from cans and boxes at her own home ), but she never was alone in this house – well, besides his daughters. With a happy sigh, she turned around to see where they are, but she noticed the spot where they were standing and very [ unauffällig ] eavesdropping the both of them was empty.

Hearing voices in the TV in the living room, she quickly followed to see them sitting on the big Alligator-couch, watching some kind of cartoon with a sponge and a seastar.

"Hey ladies, what are you guys up to?"

"We're watching TV. You wanna watch with us?"  
Agnes quickly rolled around to give her space on the couch and Lucy sat down next to the youngest.  
"What are you guys watching?" - "Spongebob Squarepants!" said Edith, but Lucy quirked her eyebrow in helpless confusion over that name.  
"Don't tell me you never saw Spongebob before!?"  
"Well, I'm not watching many cartoons, to be honest – not much TV in general."  
"Really? Why not?"  
"Because I have no time, honey."  
"Because you're too busy with dating Gru, right?"

Lucy blinked down at Agnes, who smiled back at her. But then she laughed.  
"Well, Agnes – I'm not dating your Daddy all the time, but it is one of the factors, yes."  
That was enough for the littlest to grin happily, for Edith to crease her face and for Margo to smile proudly.  
"So, Gru tells you about our dates?"  
A blush formed on her cheeks. She didn't dare to ask them if he was telling them every little detail, though…  
Margo and Agnes giggled, nodding. "He told us you guys are holding hands and kissing now." - "Why, yes, we do."  
"Blegh!" Edith stuck out her tongue, pulling her beanie over her eyes and turned around again to watch the show.

But Lucy noticed the shift on Edith's face.  
"Edith, you don't look so happy about this. Is everything okay?"  
The girl in her beanie turned her head to look up at her, actually, not quite ashamed of what she did to show her discomfort.  
"Don't you like if I date your father?"  
"Noo, no, don't worry Lucy." Margo patted Lucy's shoulder. "She's just…you know – in that kind of age."  
She mouthed an "oh" with her lips and nodded silently, understanding, but suddenly, Edith jumped up.

"I'm not a baby anymore, and I'm not in a special kind of age!" she hissed at her sister, before she turned to Lucy, in a softer voice: "I don't care what you and Gru do in your freetime, just stop doing it in front of our eyes where everybody can see it!"  
And with that, she suddenly turned around to run into the hallway, up the many steps and finally, a loud bang echoed through the house and everybody else cringed slightly.

Oh dear…

"Did I…did I say something wrong?" Lucy looked between Margo and Agnes.  
"No, don't worry, you didn't." Comforted margo. "It's just – well…Edith has some troubles with accepting to share, you know?"  
"And now she's fearing that you take Gru away from her." Said Agnes straight away, making Margo facepalming her forehead.

"Oh…but…" Lucy put her hand to her mouth in slight shock. She just realized what she had triggered with this – from some files and the few stories she had heard from Gru, Lucy knew that the girls weren't his own, but merely adopted. All three of them had spent most of their time together, occasionally separated to go into foster homes.  
Maybe that was one of the reasons she was so sensitive regarding sharing somebody she loved very much.  
"But I'm not intending to take him away from you guys. We're…" she bit her lip. "We're just dating."  
Slowly, Lucy moved from the couch to walk into the hallway.

"Edith?"  
No answer. The other two had followed the redhead, insecurely looking between themselves and their room, in which Edith had vanished.  
"I'll go and talk to her."  
"You don't have to, if you don't want! We can talk to her too."  
"No, that is fine! I started this, I'll finish this!"

And with that, the redhead moved to the stairs, up to the second floor. It was both strange and exciting to roam through her lover's mansion. The real home of a real villain. More of an ex-villain, but seeing the furniture and style of life, she was sure he still had some flair left of his former life. Upstairs, she saw a long corridor with red carpet on the ground, candle lighter on the walls and the hallway was covered in little girls toys. The first door must be Gru's room, it was shut tight, but somewhat she hoped someday she was going to see the inside as well.

While trying to find out where the pink girl had hidden herself, she saw something in the corner of her eye. A drawing on the wall.

It seemed like a pedigree, the many photos of people she didn't know, placed on the branches of the tree, and somewhere, rather down on the bottom, she saw a photo of a man that seemed to be Gru, placed in the middle of a big red heart, drawn in chalk with a line down to three little stickfigure-like children which looked exactly like Agnes, Edith and Margo. A smile formed on her face. These girls totally adored their father, and he adored them. They weren't even his very own kids, nor have he ever really intended to have them in the first place – she knew that already. And yet, he was caring for them and loved them like a true Daddy. It was so crazy to think about this, to remember that he once had been a villain, a criminal, who stole the moon and returned it for the sake of three little kids.

Walking past this sweet image, she eventually stopped in front of a door that was covered in pony, unicorn and boy-band posters, with a sign that read: "Just for girls."

Obviously, it was their room.  
Well, she was a girl, which means she was permitted to enter.

"Edith?" she knocked nevertheless, for she didn't want to just burst their personal bubble and invade their space without asking first.  
"Edith, can I come in?"

Silence. Lucy dropped her hand and leaned in to press her ear against the door. But there was no sound on the other side. Either the second of the group was just very stubborn, or she was hiding somewhere else. Somewhat, she could relate to her. Her family had been a big one. She was one of four children herself, but luckily happened to be the second youngest of them. Yet seeing her older brother being the middle-child in the family, he always had trouble to get the same attention and love like she, her little baby-sister or her eldest brother received. Maybe that was the problem – Lucy was sure Gru loved each of them the same and cared for all of the equally – but her past hadn't had been treating her the same.

After a while, the door was opened and Edith looked up at her behind her pulled down beanie.

"Edith, honey, may I come in?"  
"Why?" she asked, in a whiny tone.  
"I want to talk to you for a second."  
"Are you going to tell me what I did wrong and that I'm a naughty brat?"  
"Wha—no! No, Edith, I wasn't going to."  
She knelt down to her and patted her shoulder.  
"Does Gru say that to you?"- "No."  
"Then why should I?"  
"Because you're not him."

Lucy felt a lump in her throat.  
"Edith, you're not a brat, and not naughty at all. You're a bit…hotheaded, I figured that. But not naughty." Edith sighed. - "Are you going to tell Gru about my behavior?"  
"No, No he doesn't need to know, okay? Just – can you perhaps tell me what makes you think so? And why you don't like the idea of me being your father's girlfriend?"

The girl suddenly jolted her head up at her with a both irritated and shocked face.  
"Wait, you're already his _**Girlfriend?**_"

Uh-oh!

"Oh, eh – not really, but, uhm…I see myself to be in this position someday, maybe."  
What a great save. "Just – if your Dad wants so – or you."

"My only problem with this is that I know he'll be fixed on you, once you become his girlfriend. He'll forget about us, and will keep meeting you, and keep forgetting us, and – what if he someday wants to give us back to the orphanage, because we are a distraction; or an obstacle between you and him?"  
"Oh, Edith…" Lucy brought her hand to her cheek and after Edith pulled away for a minute, she approached again and let her caress her cheek.

"Your Daddy loves you. He loves you more than he loves himself, and he'd never ever give you back. Do you know that he put the moon back to the sky for you? Do you know that he had fought really hard for the custody of you guys? Just because Gru and I meet a lot now, doesn't that mean he would ever forget about you girls!"

She smiled and Edith looked up at her under her beanie.

"Sweetie – if you like, we can tell Gru to meet with me here in future, so you guys won't miss him during the evening. And you and I can bond much more and become friends. Does that sound good?"

Edith hesitated, but with a small gulp, she nodded.

"Lucy, uh…sorry for my behavior. Everybody always thinks I'm unmannerly, but in real life, I'm just scared."  
"I know, Edith…I won't ever judge you, okay?"  
Once again, Edith nodded, smiling up at her.  
Lucy reached out her hand. "Shall we have dinner now, perhaps?"  
Edith quickly followed her out of the room and grabbed her palm to follow her downstairs. "Yes, that would be awesome!"

...

"So, your Dad told me he left your dinner in the fridge."

The girls were nicely sitting on their seats at the round table, waiting for their food. Lucy didn't know what exactly Gru had left for them, but judging by their faces, she could imagine it was their favorite food.

"Yeah, you just need to heat it up in the oven."  
Margo informed. "But don't use the microwave, Uncle Nefario had used it to heat up some chemicals yesterday, and – none of us really dared to clean it up yet." Lucy opened her mouth in an "Oh" shape and turned around to see the little device, covered in greenish goo, little electric flashes zinging inside.

"Oh, uh, well – I guess we shouldn't then." Turning back to the fridge, she was a bit surprised. There were a whole bunch of banana-products inside. Normal bananas, Banana-yogurt, Banana-shakes, Bananas dried, Bananas frozen, Banana milk, Banana ice and whatnot else.

With a frown, she awkwardly chuckled: "Well, e-eheh. I didn't know your father is quite into Bananas."  
"Oh, nah, those are for the minions." informed Edith. Lucy nodded with raised eyebrows, pushing the jaws of Banana-jam away.  
"Oookay, I see, so, a household with a big, big favor for bananas. Oh, hey, look, I found your dinner!"  
She pulled her head out and proudly raised a large broccoli into the air. The happy expressions on their faces faded at instant.

"I'm just kidding, girls, sorry!"  
"Phew! I already vomited a bit in my mouth." Muttered Edith.

"Here we go, I guess this is what he left for you."

Holding up a plate with sliced Pizza-rests, she chuckled at their faces lightening up again and all three of them cheered happily, while Lucy put the plates into the oven and switched it on, waiting ten minutes until the pizza was warm enough to be eaten again.

Everybody got three slices, each of them in with different toppings.

"Aright girls, enjoy!"

Lucy sat next to them, contently eating a slice of toast for dinner. She already ate for dinner, so she wasn't hungry enough to make the effort and cook something – also, she wasn't sure if she should use Gru's kitchen, some tools seemed to be stolen from some labs or torture chambers.

And scrounging from the girls wouldn't be polite at all.

She watched the three of them happily eating the rest of their pizza with stuffed crust, until she saw the eldest on the other side of the table. With a heavy look in her eyes, she was still nibbling on the first slice on her plate, chewing exactly for one minute before gulping down the tiny bite she just took. Agnes and Edith were almost done and she was still munching on her very first piece. Lucy watched this scene for a minute or two, and while her sisters already started with their dessert, Margo was almost done with the crust.

"You don't like pizza?" she asked and the brownhaired girl jerked her head up, staring at Lucy with saucer eyes, as if she had caught her while stealing from somebody's pockets. And also the other two next to her stopped eating and looked between Margo and Lucy.

Dropping the crust, she straightened up her posture, stammering. "N-no, nono, I do love Pizza, sorry, uh –"

"You seem to be a quite slow eater, aren't you? Are you hungry at all? You haven't been eating anything for over two hours now – you didn't even touch the chips in the living room."

Margo froze. Her shoulders slumped, her body dropped back to lean against the seat, face pale as the wall, her eyes grew empty behind her glasses, staring back at Lucy with a stressed, almost alarmed glance.

That unsettled Lucy a lot.

Did she say something wrong? Wasn't Margo feeling good? The girl seemed quite lively and healthy before, but now she seemed like she had seen a ghost before her eyes. Carefully, Lucy moved her fingers to the other side of the table to try and take her hand.

"Margo…?"

"I-I'm…" Margo jumped off her seat. "I'm not hungry anymore."

And with that, she turned and left the room, as quick as possible, leaving a dumbfounded Lucy and two gloomy little kids alone in the kitchen.

"Uh-oh!" mumbled Agnes."Now she's turning into Puky-puky again."  
"Wait, Puky-Puky?"  
"Yah, or Vometa – the puking machine! You aren't going to be able to use the bathroom for hours after her." Said Edith, rather disinterested.  
"I once watched her secretly – it's really gross! She puts her fist in her mouth and then she suddenly throws up, without being sick or having tummy aches. But we should keep it a secret."  
Agnes imitated a zipper over her lips, but Lucy was instantly alert, jumped up her seat and dashed out the door.

"Margo? Margo!"

She caught the girl on her way to the bathroom.

"Margo, no! Don't!" Lucy blocked her way as she was about to run away. "Let me through!" she hissed. "I just wanna go to the bathroom!"  
"To push your finger down your throat, am I right?"

Margo silenced and stared up at her, suddenly spinning around to see her sisters watching the two of them and cast a dark glance at them.  
"You told her, didn't you?!"  
"W-We didn't mean to…"  
"Margo…"Lucy knelt down next to her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Margo, listen. It's not their fault, it's mine – I triggered it."  
Margo gulped. Lucy didn't know exactly how to deal with such people; she never had been anorexic herself. Yet, she could imagine why Margo was the one dealing with this…

"Sweetheart – why are you doing this? Don't you know that this is not good for your body? For your teeth, your stomach, your organism?"  
She stayed silent again. "Hon, if you don't eat, you'll get very, very sick."  
"I-I…I know." Margo sighed, her head dropping.  
"I don't know why I do this…it's just – I feel like I'm fat. Just look at me – I feel ashamed of myself, okay?"  
"But Margo, you're not fat at all!" she comforted.

"Yes, I am!"

"Margo, you may think you are – but if I were you, I would be so proud of myself. Of my body, my appearance. You're a beautiful little girl, alright? And if somebody ever called you fat, then they are terribly wrong!"

"…" Margo suddenly cast an angry glace at her.

"You wouldn't know – you're thin! And big! And pretty! I'm none of this!"

"Pumpkin, the only reason I am thin is that I am tall! I'm terribly tall – and I was bullied as a kid because I was so long and lanky. You have no idea how much I have wished I'd be smaller, rounder – just so I could fit in. I was dreaming of something that would change me completely, just so other like me – and not myself. Today, I am proud of being long and tall, I can intimidate criminals, and I can reach the upper shelves in supermarkets!"

Margo chuckled.

"And you'll see what qualities you'll have too, someday. But ruining this chance now is not a way to handle this, okay?"  
She nodded, and sighed. "I'm very sorry, Margo – but I need to tell your Dad about this."  
"N-No! Please! If he knows about this, he'll –"  
"Margo, Gru has to know about your conditions. Just so he can deal with this correctly, and he can help you go through this phase. Don't keep it a secret anymore, or it'll become worse…"

And then she looked up to Agnes and Edith.

"And you shouldn't keep this for yourself as well. I know, you did this to help your sister, but this is not the right way, okay?"  
"Okay…"they all nodded and Lucy rose up to her feet once again. "How about we'll watch a movie before you guys go to bed and forget about this?"

"Yaaaay!" the youngest jumped around happily. Gru never allowed them to watch movies before bedtime, and thus Agnes and Edith quickly dashed back into the living room to choose their favorite movie.

"And Margo – do you still want to eat your pizza?"  
She hesitated, but then she nodded.  
"I'm going to warm it up for you again, so you can eat it, and you guys go and choose a movie, alright?"  
"Alright!"

Lucy went straight for the kitchen and started cleaning things up and put Margo's plate back into the oven for five minutes. A small smile appeared on her lips – she wouldn't have guessed she would know so much about them already, after all, they didn't know each other for that long. Yet, she found it brave of them to trust her and tell her what was eating them before Gru would notice – yet she could imagine he was aware of most of their issues. He once told her that it was always Margo who looked out for Agnes and Edith, and took care of them ever since they were just toddlers. They were separated a lot, have been brought to foster families. But eventually ended up in the orphanages again. She didn't dare to ask them about it, although she was curious. What if she just triggered more and more bad memories or made them uncomfortable? She already passed the lines and now she tried to stay neutral, and wouldn't see them as special cases, but just normal kids in a normal family. Well, more or less normal.

With the heated pizza for Margo, glasses and a bottle of water she returned to the living room, placing everything on the little table.

"So?" she tilted her head.  
"What will we watch this evening, girls?"  
"I wanna see finding nemo!" said Agnes.  
"But I wanna watch the lion king!" said Margo.  
"No, let's watch Kung Fu Panda!" Edith held the DVD case of the movie up, happily jumping on her feet. "That is the best movie, I promise!"  
"Lucy, what do you wanna watch?" the eldest suddenly turned around.  
"Yeah! Lucy shall decide!"

"Wait – me?" Lucy placed her hand on her chest and laughed. "Oh goodness, but I don't know what movies you have!"  
"That's okay, we have almost every movie anyway."  
Well, that wasn't a big help, but Lucy moved between them, kneeling down and looking at the other movies the three of them had.  
"Hmm…well, I must say, I am a bit lost when it comes to this, but –"  
"We should watch something Lucy hasn't seen yet." Edith suggested.

"Well, Edith, that is not that difficult – I haven't seen any of these, actually."  
With an awkward chuckle, she looked between them. "But uhh – how about this one. That looks neat."  
"The nightmare before Christmas? Really?"  
"But we only watch that on Christmas." Said Agnes and tilted her head.  
"Oh, uh, okay, sure, then, uhhm – this one?"  
"Nah, we lost the disc of Toy story."

"Hmm…"

It wasn't easy to choose one, but eventually, the three of them were all equally happy with "My neighbor Totoro."

So, they started the movie, sat down on their spots ( Edith on the back of the Alligator, Margo in front, close to the table and little Agnes on Lucy's lap ) and started watching.

The movie was cute and made in a quite astonishing animation – Lucy loved animatic movies. Rarely did she see nowadays any kind of drawn movies anymore, all were just focusing on computer-animation. Back in her childhood, animatic movies were a great deal.

But she didn't want to be the cantankerous, always complaining old woman around the next generation– the only thing she had to do was making a mental note that she really needed to convince Gru to watch some movies with her in future times.

The four of them enjoyed sitting together, eating their candies and junk-food and watching, Agnes slightly stirring in Lucy's lap as she reached for the table to grab her glass with orange juice.

Before she could help her to reach it, she already had it in her small hands and on her lips, gulping down her juice.  
"Has he told you it yet?"  
Lucy blinked confused. "Uh – what did he tell me?"  
"That he loves you."  
A hot pink veil wandered over her cheeks and Margo and Edith both looked up to her in disbelief.  
"O-Oh, uhm…no, uh, no, not really."  
"But you have kissed already, right?"  
"-Well, yes we have, Agnes."  
"Gross!" Edith stuck out her tongue.  
"But only people who love each other kiss."

"Yes, that's true, but – people just do sometimes kiss each other, but not truly out of love, you know? Kissing sometimes is just a sign of liking each other very much!"

"Does that mean you don't love Gru back? You just like him very, very much?"

Silence. She couldn't believe she was having this kind of conversation with three little kids, not to mention with the kids of the man she was dating. Margo, Edith and Agnes were staring at her with asking glances. And Lucy honestly felt a bit lost.

Was she really in love with him? Like – truly in love? She doubted he was feeling the same, maybe a bit confused about these new emotions, a bit giddy, a bit overjoyed – but truly in love? They didn't know each other for that long. Maybe just a month of two – in person, that is. And ever before she met him in real life, she just felt a huge admiration toward him. She was fascinated by him and somewhat inspired – but love…?

Suddenly, a loud_** "Bang!"**_ echoed through the house, Edith, Margo and Lucy cringed, Agnes jerking up in her lap, and dropped in surprise her glass. The rest of her orange juice spilled over her shirt and over the white, fluffy fur of her plush-unicorn.

"No! My Unicorn!"

"Dave!"

Lucy looked between the shocked little girl and behind her shoulder, where one of the munchkins was standing, his face covered in ash and dust, his mind buzzing and he groaned in pain from the previous explosion; half of the fire-place was burned black in the bomb Dave had carried through the hallway – and apparently came too close to the flames of the open fire.

"Mister Fluffy!" Agnes whined, holding up her unicorn with saucer eyes. Lucy gasped Oh no, Agnes had spilled the juice on the clean and neat white fur – and now there was a huge orange spot on its chest, sticky and literally gluing the streaks together.

"Oh dear…"  
"Lucy, you gotta fix it!" she turned around, looking up at her with sorrowful eyes. "You gotta clean it, Lucy. Please!"  
"O-Of course, c-come on!"  
She quickly picked up the little girl and her unicorn and ran down to the kitchen.

"What the hell are the munchkins doing in the house?! I thought Gru had put them downstairs!" she mumbled to herself, taking the plushy from Agnes. She opened up the faucet in the sink and carefully lifted the unicorn into the water.

"Please, please be careful." Begged Agnes.

"I try my best, honey…"

The water brushed over the spilled spot on its side, washing away the orange juice and Lucy tried to rub the stickiness from its fur, but the more she tried to get the fur fluffy and clean again, the more water was poured over the unicorn and drenched the toy more and more, spreading the spot on its entire back.

Tears streamed out of Agnes eyes.

This unicorn meant so much to her, the way she clutched it to her chest and cuddled it and never was seen without it – seeing her precious Mister Fluffy suffering from this squalor was probably a hard one to watch.

"Agnes, it's going to be fine…"Lucy tried to comfort her. "I'll try to get the spot out…!"  
"Ehh, badagu-ji?" Dave had joined the two of them and asked if anything was okay, but Lucy just cast a very dark glace at him.  
"Dave, not now!"  
But then Lucy accidentally lifted the completely soaked wet animal and Agnes gasped.  
"No!" she instinctively grabbed Lucy's arm and pulled on her, trying to get her unicorn back. "Give it back, give it back!"

Lucy dropped it, surprised over how pleading she sounded. Agnes clutched it close to her chest, didn't care if it was drenching her clothes as well, she just needed to reassure herself he was fine.  
But he wasn't.  
"Agnes…"  
"Lucy, the spot is just bigger!"  
"Agnes…hon…I really tried, I'm sorry."  
"Bu-but – but you can fix him, right? We-We could put him in the washer, right?"

Lucy knelt down to her. She doubted that, honestly. She had a huge pile of stuffed animals back home as well, and each time she tried to clean them in the washer, she had to throw it away afterwards. The fur dried out, became rough and unpleasant to touch, or the buttons fell off.

"Agnes, I'm afraid we can't wash him in the washer, your toy."  
"N-not…?" she asked, all hope vanished from her face. "A-Anything else we can do?"  
"…Hon, uhm, I know you really like this unicorn, but – I think Mister Fluffy isn't going to make it."  
"W-what…?" Agnes breathed, stepping away from Lucy like she was a monster that would tear her toy away from her. "B-But – what does that mean?"

"Oh, oh, labagi!" Dave jumped up and down, hand rose to volunteer to explain. He turned towards her, and then drew his finger along his neck, sticking out his tongue and making a dying sound for emphasis. Gee, that was despicable…!  
"No! Nononono, he can't be dead, we can't throw him away! We can't!" – "But Agnes, I'm sure we can find the same unicorn in the next sto—"  
"No, we can't!" she blurted, frustrated and sad, crying into her beloved Mister Fluffy's wet fur.  
"We can't…I got this unicorn from Gru, i-it's special! I – I can't throw it away."

Lucy blinked. Gru got her this toy? As it seems, it was the very first toy she ever got from her Dad, for she adored it with all her heart – just as much as she adored her father himself.

What would she do now? Would she have to ask Gru what to do with it? Maybe he knew what to do?

"Agnes, Honey…" She scooted closer to the child, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tightly against her chest. Also she didn't care if her dress was getting wet too or not, but as she noticed that another, unwanted someone was joining the hug-session, which was a still in soot and cinder Dave, she growled at him, and he backed away with an awkward grin.

And speaking of the devil -

"Lucy, gurls?"

Agnes raised her head as she heard the voice of her father. Margo and Edith instantly rushed to the door to explain the current situation, while Agnes quickly jumped out of Lucy's hug and ran up to her Dad, her drenched unicorn in her hand.

"Mister Fluffy is hurt?"  
"I spilled Orange juice on him." She sniffled. "And, and – and Lucy tried to clean him, but the spot became even bigger, and now he's broken…" She held her shaggy unicorn up to her dad, tears running down her cheeks.  
"Aw, now, now, Agnes…"  
Gru took the unicorn and his youngest in his arms and met Lucy in the kitchen, a bit helpless and probably a bit guilty.

"I'm sorry, I really tried to help her…" she meant to explain, but Gru shook his head and offered a smile. "It's not yur fault. Agnes, I told yu to put yur stuff out of dhe livin' room, dis happens jus' too often now."

Agnes sniffed, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Lucy closed up to them, comfortingly running her hand over her back, and looking up at Gru with a shy smile.

"And what are we going to do now?" Edith and Margo asked. "Remember dhe last time she accidentally dropped tomato-sauce on him?"  
They nodded. "We'll jus' put him in dhe washer again and see if it's cleanin' it up."  
Lucy was a bit baffled – "But Gru, the washer will mat the fur!"  
"No, it's fine." He shook his head. "I'm livin' vith three young kids in one house, my washer had to struggle a lot a'ready and never disappointed me."

...

Once the unicorn was in the washer, the movie was finished and the kitchen was cleaned, Gru brought his three little angels to bed. She knew it was a sacred routine for the little family and thus she didn't want to interrupt them.

Standing in the door frame, she watched Gru picking up each of them, hugging and cuddling them and kissing them goodnight, and making sure they were dozy enough to fall asleep right away. Then he carefully placed them back into their beds, and tugged them in, whispering a few last words to them, before it was the next one's turn.

This sight was making Lucy's heart warm up. This man was not only a fun dad – he must be the best dad! A villain, who had spent his entire life with frightening, threatening and suppressing people, with weapons that are meant to harm and crimes that are meant to intimidate, was taking care of three children with tenderness and love and care, which weren't even his very own kids. These kids adored him justifiably – he must be like a hero to them.

Maybe he was a hero after all? Somebody, who was cruel and gruesome from outside, but inside, he was the true hero? A sender, caring and upright character…? If she ever had a father, she would have been the luckiest little girl on the earth, she was sure about this.

He suddenly turned around with his youngest in his arms and glanced at Lucy, and she cringed and blinked, putting her hands together behind her back again.

"Sorry again for leavin' dhe kids vith yu – I know dhey can be a handful sometimes."  
"Oh, no, no don't worry – they were upright and good as they could be…"

She looked down to the black-haired little girl, nibbling on her thumb, nestled in her Dad's arms, safe and sound. Lucy carefully brushed her knuckles over her cheek. Agnes truly was a sweetheart. No wonder Gru and Agnes seemed to have the best bonding – he was her ultimate hero to her. Nobody ever rescued her or bought her a toy before, or held her like this or brought her to bed. "She's such a cutie-pie…"  
"Yeah…she is…" Gru agreed, looking down at his daughter like she was made out of gold. This glance in his eyes was making her heart jump.  
"And Edith?" he asked. "Vas she behavin' too?"  
"She was the most mannered this evening." She guaranteed, leaving out her little outburst some hours ago. "She may has to get along with us both dating now…but I think she likes me already…"  
That was soothing Gru a lot. Inside, he feared that Edith wouldn't approve of her in the first place, she was very possessive and clingy sometimes.  
"I know, she's not goo vith sharin', yu know?"

Lucy chuckled slightly. "It's okay – I understand her. Oh and, Gru –" she leaned in to whisper a bit more. "You should make sure Margo eats enough in future, okay?"

"Huh…?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you, so, I'll keep it by that. Just have always a bit more food left for her. Make sure she eats and drinks enough before school, in school and afterwards too. I don't want her to become anorexic."

Gru nodded, biting his lip. Worry spread over his face. Lucy was sure the three of them hadn't had an easy time before Gru took care of them. Edith had issues with being possessive, Margo had eating-disorders, and Agnes…May it be the innocence of her youth, but she dearly was attached to things that reminds her of her father. It broke her heart to know she had to spend the night without her beloved plush-unicorn in her arms…

"I'm sorry, uh…I didn't mean to worry you."  
"Yu didn't, but – Lucy, I know dis sounds weird and probably too fast for our relationship already, but – I need yur help."  
Lucy stared at him in a baffled state.

He asked for help? From her?

"Dhey grow up slowly and have dheir problems and so on – I'm not sure if I can keep up vith dhem and help dhem…"  
A sudden smile spread over her face and she nodded, understanding fully.  
"Gru, you are doing an awesome job, I saw you and I think you're a brilliant father. But…whenever you need help, I'll be there for you." Her hand rose up to touch his cheek gently. A few seconds later though, she noticed that this was probably a rather bold move, but as she pulled away, his hand joined her and gracefully curled his fingers around hers, looking deep into her eyes. He loved those eyes of hers. Oh, how much he loved this green gleam he grew lost inside each time he was looking at her…

And so did she – his eyes were the prettiest ones she had ever seen and loved to see this shift in his face whenever he drew close to kiss her.  
They inched up, her other hand reaching up to cup his other cheek, drawing him closer to her. As he tilted his head, she followed suit.

"Lucy…? Gru…?"

Both of them stopped in their movements, shortly before their lips met. Looking down to the girl in Gru's arm, they noticed Agnes was awake, tiredly blinking up to them and eyeing them curiously.  
"Oh, uh –" Lucy drew back from him, her hands behind her back to feign innocence. " - Hey sweetie, I thought you're already asleep."  
"Mhh, no, I'm not tired…" she rubbed her eyes. "I'm just relaxing my eyes a bit."  
"Really? Dhe last time I checked, yu were fast asleep." Gru smiled warmly at his baby-girl.  
"What are you both doing?"  
"Lucy jus' told me how well-behaved yu guys were vhile I vas gone."  
"Oh yes, you guys were so great and easy to handle…and…I'm sorry again for your Unicorn. I hope Mister Fluffy is going to be fine."  
"He will, don't worry! Gru always gets my stuff nice and clean…" she stretched her arms and legs and yawned, nuzzling back into Gru's arms.  
"I'm sure he can, Agnes. He's great at anything, after all."

Gru blushed and looked at her with a coy smile. Wow, she really did admire him. Before they started dating, he found her giddy behavior around him slightly annoying, but now –

"Were you guys _kissing?_"

Equally staring at the little kid with raised eyebrows, saucer eyes and open mouths, Lucy's hand flew to her lips and she chuckled.  
"Oh, goodness! Uh, well –"  
"A-Agnes…" Gru almost didn't dare to look back at Lucy, his face flushed in a deep shade of red, so did hers.  
Agnes looked between the two adults and tilted her head. "What's wrong?"  
"Well, uh, Agnes, we uhm—"  
"You both kissed before, didn't you?"  
"Y-yeah, we did.  
"Why are you two then having trouble with doing it now?"

Gru looked back at Lucy finally, hunching his shoulder slightly, and she grinned at him in a shy matter. "Agnes…the problem is just that, well, we haven't kissed in your guys presence yet, we uh –"

"I'm super okay with that!" she smiled at them, pressing her lips together and looked at them with expecting eyes. Lucy still chuckled and looked back at Gru, smiling genuinely at him while he almost wanted to crawl into a hole and vanish there in embarrassment. She bites her lip within her remaining smile and scoots closer to him and places her hands on each side of his face to pull him into a kiss, the scene they had started but hadn't finished yet. Gru was a bit startled first but gave in and kissed her back – and it didn't feel awkward at all, all of the sudden.

"Gaaah!" Agnes squealed and squirmed in his arms and Lucy pulls back to watch the little girl."_Gru and Lucy, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-s-s-s-s-si-n-g._"  
"Yu… yu used too many s's, sweetheart."  
"Not if you're doing it looong." She chuckled, and both Gru and Lucy blushed, but nevertheless, he reached for her hand to comfort her a bit.  
"Quiet, I wanna sleep!" Groaned Edith from their room. "Right, sorry – I'll get yu to yur bed now as well, Agnes."  
"Okay…Lucy? Goodnight."  
"Goodnight, honey!" she waved and let Gru take her back to her bed. It was already late and Gru still had to tell her how the conference went. Or kick her out, whatever may come first.

About ten minutes later, Gru gently closed the door and sighed, turning around to look back at Lucy.  
"Sorry for dhe delay, she was still talkin' about dhe entire kiss-thing." He rolled his eyes.  
"Aww, she really loves seeing us together, doesn't she?"  
Gru shrugged and nodded. "W-well…I du too."  
And this time it was Lucy's time to blush deeply.

"…Same here…"

Silence remained between the both of them, Gru had reached for her hands to hold them and sway them tenderly, sharing quick, almost shy glances and smiling at each other, not daring to speak or talk.  
"Well, uh…how did the conference go? Did Silas soften up to you eventually?"  
"Hm, not really…" he replied, shrugging, and Lucy's face changed from shyly smiling to confused, almost sad.  
"Does… does that mean he –?"  
"He has a mission in his files – for both of us. As partners."  
That was enough for her to lighten her face up again. "They hired you?"  
"Dhey did." Gru nodded, smiling at her as she started to beam, jumping around with excited squeals: "Oh my god this is –"  
"Lucy, shh…!" Gru hushed her.  
"—the best day in my life!" she ended her sentence in a whisper, chuckling.  
"Sorry – got carried away. But Gru, this is amazing! We're partners now – forever! Well, if you can handle me and my giddy, annoying character that is…"  
Gru reached for her hands again and gave them a firm squeeze. "Yu're not annoyin', Lucy."  
"Oh, don't sugarcoat it; I was unbearable, wasn't I?"  
"Hmm…" Gru feigned a short period of pondering, pursing his lips. "A tiny bit."

Lucy grinned. Inside she was still jumping and blissfully remembering that they were going to go on missions now together, fight against the criminals and for the law, spy on people and hunt them down. It was a dangerous business, as she could tell. But knowing that she was going to have this time with him as a team was just bemusing her mind.

"We gotta be dhere at nine…yu think yu can make it?"  
"Oh, I'll be punctual, alright." She winked at him, cheekily tugging on his scarf a bit.  
"The real question is – you think you can?"  
"A villain may be dhe bad guy – but he'll move mountains and seas to come to appointments at time. Dun't underestimate me – _Partner._"

_Partner…_

What a strange, yet magnificent new pet-name this was.  
"I won't – _Partner_."


	5. First Time

_**[ Warning: Highly mature-rated! Read it or beat it!]**_

* * *

**Date #31**

Staring down at the papers, Lucy sighed.  
Usually, she was giddy and happy and just terribly excited over receiving the news over a new mission – and this one was one she would never have been permitted to attend, at least not before she and Gru became the best agents in the entire league.

And there was the problem – _him._

She knew Silas had only picked her for this mission. Some spying job in Cuba, somewhere far away from him. But the problem was that she had started to feel…attached to him. More than that! Almost every day, her thoughts only swirled around him, no matter what she was doing or thinking about, he popped back into her mind.

He was completely taking her out of focus, just every time. It would be an issue, but to her, it was like a drug. A drug that brightened up her day, made her step easier and let her heart beat faster, her mood shining bright and happily and sometimes it just needed Agnes' words back then about him loving her and it was enough for her to burst out in a bright grin, sometimes squealing happily into her pillow or in public. It was when she figured she was deeply, deeply in love with this man.

But today, thinking about him wasn't brightening things up at all. She had to tell him. Somehow. And she could just imagine how he'd react once she informed him that Silas put her on the mission – without him.

With a sigh, she placed the information sheets back on the table and flopped onto the couch with a groan, burying the heels of her hands into her eyes to clear her mind for a minute.  
She didn't want to leave him. Not now…  
Now that she had started to get along so well with him and his girls.

But she had to stay professional. Ramsbottom hated seeing both of them together, acting so shy and awkward and just almost intimate – maybe that was the reason he made sure Gru's office was far away from her own, and also the reason he sends her two months away from him…that would be almost 10 times dating they would miss during this time…

To recall: She couldn't remember both of them ever had engaged into something more intimate than kissing yet - on their missions or after work. Of course, Lucy wanted more. But there were many factors why she couldn't make a move and live out that fantasy. First of all: her boss. He seemed to have made it his very task to protect Lucy from harm, which was nice and sweet - but unnecessary. Gru didn't mean harm! Sure, people seemed to consider him as a ticking timebomb that could burst and he'd fall back into old patterns. But she trusted that he had changed. She simply knew it.  
But then again, there was also the question: Did _he_ want more? He never seem to make a legitimate move on her, probably because he was too...aloof. Or shy. Or he was respecting her way too much to ask for such a thing after, _"just"_, 3 months of dating. It made her yet question, if he found her attractive at all.  
Of course he did! These meaningful glances a man only showed when he was truly interested were enough to affirm this.

Grabbing her phone, she looked at the display and started typing:

**_Hey big guy, can you call me?_**

**_We need to talk about something and I assume you won't like it._**

**_xoxo Lucy_**

...

"Two months?"  
"Yes, I know…I'm sorry, but I really can't put that offer down. I need the money…not to forget the promotion."  
"I see…"  
Lucy held her phone close to her ear, and she could hear the trail of disappointment in his voice.  
"Gru, I'm very sorry. I tried to talk to Silas, he refuses to let you accompany me."  
"No, nono, dat is fine." She heard from the other side of the speaker. "I was assumin' he wuldn't let me accompany yu anyway, yu know – I'm a newbie."  
"He doesn't think of you as a newbie, Gru."  
"I wish he wuldn't." a soft, almost bitter chuckle sounded and Lucy bit her lip. He was sad. She heard it even through the metallic sound through the phone. A lump build in her throat.  
"Well…anyway, vhen are yu goin' to leave?"  
"T-To-" he almost choked on these words. "Tomorrow…"

Silent grew between then.

"Wow, a'ready?…Well, uh - dhen yu shuld get goin' and put yur stuff togedher, I hope I'm not keepin' yu away from anythin'."  
"You're not, big guy."  
A long pause started, of neither of them saying anything, Lucy thoughtfully, almost guiltily fiddling with her fingers.  
"So, uh, anyway…I think I gotta go now, I need to put dhe gurls to rest. Will yu text me tomorrow vhen yu're in dhe plane? Or can yu call me?"  
"S-sure…" she gulped behind the tightness in her throat.  
"Okay…and, Lucy?"  
"—Yes?"  
"Take care…a'right?"  
"Y-yes…!"

And with that, the call ended and Lucy felt like the worst person on earth. His voice…a shudder ran down her body when she remembered the way he was speaking once she told him about the mission. He was sad – so was she. But the disappointment in his voice made it just worse.

Looking outside the window into the pouring rain and the dark clouds grumbling and lightening up occasionally by flashes, her eyelids grew heavy. She remembered that time, some weeks ago as they kissed beneath the oak in the stormy rain and sighed. Then her eyes travelled over the furniture of her little, bright apartment. What luck she needed just some candles and a small lamp upstairs in the open space where her bed and desk were to light up at least the living room.

Maybe, she thought, it wasn't such a bad idea to keep herself away from him for a while. After the long while both of them were dating, she had found out that he was terribly shy regarding special activities, such as talking about intimacy, showing it or exerting such. What if he had eased about such things and was a changed man after she comes back?

She shouldn't push things, though. He needed his time, she knew that. But sometimes she couldn't help thinking about the two of them, hugging, cuddling, kissing, exploring…

Becoming the beast with two backs, as Shakespeare said. With a small sigh, she curled up on her couch, drawing her knees close to her body, concentrating on a spot in her apartment that would help her along to stay awake. Seeing a crack in the wall here and there, or a spider web in the corner, piles of clothes on her armchair she'd take with her to Cuba and the TV silently slurring, showing some cartoon show, but she barely paid attention, as her eyes suddenly refused her will and grew heavy, so heavy that she closed them, breathing in and out and falling into a light slumber.

...

It felt like minutes later, but as Lucy woke up from something she couldn't determine yet, her look first trailed up to her clock. Past twelve.  
She spoke to Gru around seven!

"Oh noo!" she hissed to herself, quickly getting up to help her brain stop stirring in her head achingly, trying to collect her stuff for the travel tomorrow. It was still raining and thundering, and she assumed that this had been the reason she woke up. She still had so much to do before leaving – bringing her suitcase upstairs, wash her clothes, make dinner for herself, clean the apartment and whatnot else. Spinning around, she tried to figure out what to do first, when and if she shouldn't wait until tomorrow – no time! She was leaving at 10 in the morning!

Suddenly, she cringed at a weird sound coming from her window. A bit startled, she looked at the pane, seeing nothing but the rain falling beneath the streetlantern and the street running down to the bay, through narrowed walls of other houses, some windows lit up, some filled with darkness. And the longer she started, the more she was sure her ears were making a fool out of her, as she suddenly saw tiny stones being thrown against her pane and a loud, clanking sound drowned the sound of the rain drumming against the house. Lucy jerked.

What in heaven's name was going on out there? Were some teenagers throwing stones at her window to mock her? With clenched fists, she walked towards the sill, reaching for the pry to open the window widely, looking outside.

"Pssst!"

Lucy jerked once again.  
Did somebody just said "psst"?  
Looking down, she couldn't believe her eyes who was standing in the pouring rain, soaked wet to the bones, holding a small pair of flowers in his hand who hung their heads from the weight of the raindrops falling down at them…

"Gru!" she gasped.

He didn't answer, but shook his head to keep her still, motioning her to joint him downstairs. Her heart once again made faster decisions than her brain as she turned around to grab her jacket and her shoes and her keys, before rushing down the stairs to meet him outside in the pouring rain. Staring at each other for a second, Lucy rushed up to him.

"Gru! Are you crazy?! What are – why are –" she struggled with what she should ask first.  
Why he was so wet and if he walked all the way over here, about the flowers, and especially why he didn't just simply knock on the door.  
"Why are you here?"  
"I…I needed to see yu."  
"Don't tell me you walked all the way over to my house…"  
"…Well, yes I did."

Sudden emotions flooded her heart as she saw him, dripping wet and pale and his skin was so cold…she gently caressed his cheeks with comforting patterns, before she grabbed his hands.  
"Get inside, quickly! You'll catch a cold!"

Gru followed without gainsay, and she quickly walked up the stairs to the door to her apartment. Her heart was pounding loudly, excited, and worried. He really came to visit her before she would leave?

She fiddled with the keys in her hand, finally opening the door to her apartment and dragged him inside, closing the door right behind her to rush up to him, eyeing him from the bottom to the top, ignoring the puddle that started forming beneath his feet. His jacket was soaking wet, so was his scarf and his pants, ruining the leather of his boots and now her new ordered carpet.

She could imagine his sweater was just as wet as his jacket was. His cheeks glowed in a red shade from the cold, knuckles white and his face pale, and his fingers shaking; he still held the small, violet flowers in one of his hands – she didn't understand why he was here. He should rather take care of his munchkins and his children than her, right?

"Gru, it is past midnight – what were you thinking?"  
She placed her hand on his forehead. No, no fever. But he was cold as ice.

"We gotta get you out of those clothes, right now! I'll get you a towel and some clothes! Sit down – or…actually…you know what? Stay right here, uh – my couch shouldn't get drenched in water too." Gru looked behind him, but he nodded, putting his hands behind his back like he always did when he was waiting for something.

Lucy rushed through her apartment her wardrobe to fish a large shirt out which some certain date once left here, and grabbing some of her large pants for him. Something inside her was making her giddy and smiling. But on the other side – that wasn't the Gru she knew. He was always busy, never had time to call her or text her or anything, she was okay with taking over this part.

But she never would have expected him to go outside at night in the rain to her house, to pick flowers for her, and to tell her that he needed to see her. Why did he need to see her? Was there something he wanted to tell her?

Making a big turn to the bathroom, she grabbed a towel and returned to him, placing everything on the couch before turning to him again.  
"We gotta get this off of you!" she reached for the zipper of his jacket.  
"I'll make sure you'll have dry clothes and then I'll make you some tea and a ba—"

She stopped instantly as the zipper was halfway down his chest, eyes fixed on the next layer of clothes beneath his coat, slowly, and carefully, looking back into his eyes. Was she just bad at defining distances or were they once again quite close to each other?  
Gru had his eyes barely lidded, staring back at her green eyes, yet she could see a trail of expressions she had never seen on his face before.

Giving them some inches of room between each other, she slowly continued with unzipping his coat, and to speak to him.  
"Gru, uhm…why did you want to see me?"  
"—I uh, I thought it wuld be nice to say goodbye to yu before yu're leavin' tomorrow…" he looked down at her fingers gently drawing down the rhomb-formed zipper until she pushed it over his shoulder with care.  
"And, uhm…I thought yu'd like some flowers as well, uh – dhey were growin' in dhe park vhere we have been before."  
"That's nice of you." She smiled at him and nodded to encourage him, making his confidence inching up a notch. "I do love flowers…and they are so pretty – just a pity they kinda fell apart when you arrived here…"

She now had her sight fixed on the sweater he wore, the silver had turned into a darkish grey through the wetness. She felt the urge to run his fingers beneath its hem to free him from this garment and as if he was aware of her thoughts, or saw the way she bit her lower lip as a sign, he grabbed the collar of his sweater and with torturing slowness, she slid it off his shoulder.

"I-I uh, here is your towel, I'm going to put the flowers secure."

She quickly rushed into the kitchen, cursing herself that she should have shut up before he had taken off his pullover – maybe she would have had a chance to check out his naked chest. The familiar tingles inside her tummy slipped down, had travelled down between her thighs, giving her a light twitch.

She knew this feeling. This was not the time to have lusty fantasies, there was a wet and cold friend of hers standing in her room and she had to take care of things! Shaking her head, she grabbed an empty glass and filled it with water to put the violet, tiny flowers inside. It was nothing much – but to her, it was something very special and her heart bounced happily in her chest, the longer she stared at them.

Once she had returned, Gru just had put on the pants, which were fitting him perfectly. His hips weren't as wide as hers, to be fully honest, so he got that one going – the shirt on the other hand was just hardly fitting, she never had seen somebody with such wide shoulders, and such a huge chest…Where did he even find clothes that fit him?

Back at the AVL, she had heard some people even gossiping over him, the way he looked would scare little kids away. Not to her. She loved everything about him, and not only, that – the way his muscles on his back and shoulder blades moved beneath the tight fabric of the shirt were making Lucy blush and the tingles returned, breathing out in trembling vibrations.

Gru turned around to see Lucy stand in the door frame, dreamily staring at him.  
"Lucy, uh…I'm sorry I'm bodherin' yu vith dis right now…"  
He picked up his wet clothes to hang them over a chair, so her couch wouldn't suffer from the moisture. "Yu must be busy a'ready anyway vith gadherin' yur stuff for dhe trip – shall I perhaps help yu? Or du yu vant me to leave?"  
Lucy blinked at him.

"Lucy?"

"O-Oh…eh…no, no it's fine! We first have to warm you up a bit. You can keep this on until the rain has stopped."  
Gru looked outside the window.  
"I'll make you some tea, okay?"  
He nodded and she vanished in the kitchen once more, where she finally could cool her heated face down. Wow…  
I really gotta get distracted before I'll be all over him, she thought to herself and set the kettle on, returning to him to see him sitting on the couch, awkwardly rubbing his arm.

"Yu…Yu really are lucky, aren't yu?" he asked as she joined him. "To go on such a mission by yurself."  
"Why, yes, but – I'm a bit sad Silas didn't let me take a partner with me. It'd have been much fun with you, you know?"  
Gru grinned at her, but it faded again.  
"I'd be happy too…but yu know; I culdn't leave for two months anyway – I still have my gurls and my minions…and I'm dhe newbie – I'm surprised he lets me work vith yu at all."  
Lucy gently touched his upper arm.  
"Hey now, big guy. It'll be just seven weeks – then I'll be back. And then we will have a big picnic with you and me and Agnes, Edith and Margo."  
He nodded, and she was happy over seeing him smiling again, but her own vanished as soon as she took a look outside. He followed suit to stare through the window.  
"—Looks like dhe rain wun't stop fallin' dis evenin'…!"

Lucy nodded, trying to hide the smile on her face.  
So…the deal was to keep him here until the rain would stop. If it wouldn't…would that mean he'd stay here with her…?  
He looked back at her and she hunched her shoulder.

"Stupid weather, huh?" she said, but inside she hoped it won't ever stop.

He suddenly raised his hand very, very gently to brush his knuckles over her cheek, watching as her eyes fluttered close, glad over his touch on her skin, only to open them again and seeing her eyes gleaming once again in a certain way that gave his guts a sting. Cradling her head, he sat closer to her, her hands resting on both sides of his arms. They weren't much more muscular than her own, but once she felt the few muscles working beneath her palms, she was lost in the urge to run his hand over his arms, up to his shoulders, down his spine…  
Lips were just inches apart from each other as the kettle began to hiss and both jumped in surprise.

"O-Oh, u-uhm…I-I'll be…right back…"

Lucy quickly tugged on the end of her dress, straightening it and clearing her throat before she quickly walked back into the kitchen to pour the hot water into the mugs and put the teabags into them, calming herself down once again, but she hadn't even had the time to grab some sugar or honey, as she suddenly felt a presence behind her, coming closer, nearing from behind. Her fingers suddenly grew numb and her belly tensed up, knowing it was him. He stood right behind her, suddenly fingers snaked over her curves until palms followed, resting on her hips, light kisses were being placed on her shoulder.

She gasped in surprise, but once she knew who it was, her voice hitched and she let out a soft sigh.

"G-Gru…?" she barely turned her head to look at what he was doing on her, but a shiver ran down her spine when she heard him whisper:  
"Please…dun't leave me…"

She gulped. Her throat became dry and tight and she had troubles with breathing. Slowly sucking in air, she exhaled with shudders in her voice, nearly breaking. This tone in his voice…his lips on her skin…this bold move of fingers grabbing for her hips to pull her flush against him…  
"Please…dun't leave me for two months…" he had brushed her hair away from her neck and started kissing there too, making her tilt her head with a satisfied sigh, giving him better access. But even if his kisses were bemusing her, she drew back from him, grabbing the kitchen counter.  
"N-No, Gru. No…I can't. I have to do this, and you know that…"  
She turned around to look back at him, and what she saw made her heart go boom:

He was looking back at her with the most pleading eyes she had ever seen. Blue pools looking back into hers, drenched in wetness and sparkled in the dimmed light, lips barely parted, occasionally chewing on his lower lip and swallowing. She could see his Adams apple bob up and down from under his chin as he seemed to struggle to find the right words.  
"Gru…I can't cancel this. If I do, they won't offer me any jobs anymore. What if I am never going to get any promotion? Or even lose my position I am in right now? This won't only harm me, but also harm you! We will see each other after my trip, big guy…Gru, I promise you I'm –"

"I love yu…"

These words were enough for Lucy to hush her up. Her mouth was still open, about to finish her sentence, but he had interrupted her – and left her dumbfounded.  
He said it.  
He had said it for the first time ever…!  
He had said the exact sentence that his daughter had said just some weeks ago to her – _in person._  
Eyes growing saucer, she looked back at him, feeling her knees go from weak to wobbly like rice-pudding. Her heart slammed so hard against her chest that she could feel it in her throat and in her belly, and everywhere else.

"Lucy…" he had come so close suddenly, his hand cupping her cheeks, leaning in to look deep into her eyes, so close, she could feel the heat radiating off of him. How warm he suddenly seemed to be…she almost forgot why she even brew them tea at all.  
"I love yu…"

He said it again!  
He said it again, so genuine and sensually, and in a way that took all the breath from her, feeling lost from the intense gaze into her eyes.  
Hesitantly, her shaky fingers reached for his face, grazing his cheek feather-light with her fingertips, while forehead rested against forehead and she gave in.

"Gru…I…I love you too…but…"

The shift in his eyes was incredible.  
Gru reached for her, cradling the back of her head and threaded his fingers through her hair, making the bun loose and her free hair slipped down onto her shoulder, never breaking eyecontact.

"No ifs…no buts…" he whispered in a husky tone and then his lips were pressing against hers, eyes falling shut. The kiss was soft and Lucy felt his finger trail down the back of her neck, making her shiver in delight. She laid her hands against his chest, roaming over his muscles and gently massaging, finally getting a feeling of what it was to touch a true ex-villain.  
He gave a little, shaky sigh between their lips, as they parted, opening their eyes.  
And suddenly, he could see the desiring flaming up in her eyes, desire for him building up, and she saw his eyes dilating into two deep black dots, surrounded by an intense, shining blue circle.

It didn't take half a second before both were kissing each other again, deep and passionately, and Gru wrapped his arms around her and tighter to his body, moving her away from the kitchen and back into the living room, Lucy followed with some surprised sounds, but she giggled and clung to him, nails clawing into the flesh of his back.

Gru gasped slightly as he felt her teeth grazing his bottom lip, and he went a step further, parting his lips to brush his tongue over hers, asking for entrance. She didn't hesitate to open for him, accepting him and letting him explore her. Flicking the tip to her roof, she tensed her body up, breaking away from him for a second to gasp for air. She cooed at him with an unintelligible sigh, making him grin, claiming her lips once again as they continued where they ended. Kissing him with passion and love, she soaked in his smell, the scent of his perfume left on his body, the touch of his muscles beneath his clothes. She felt the urge to speak his name.

"G-Gru…?"  
"Mh-hm…?"  
"You're…you're going to stay the night…" she whispered into his ear, starting to kiss and suck the spot beneath his earlobe, making sure to leave a mark there.  
"Yes…" he moaned hoarsely, holding her tighter and she felt the bulge in his pants pressing against her. Lucy couldn't help – she needed to touch.

Fingers holding his waist, she started rocking her hips against him, breathing seductively into his ear, rubbing flush against him, feeling his hardness on her pubic bone. Gru groaned a guttural sound from deep inside his chest, and she smiled at how genuine it sounded. How much she loved his voice go like this…she wanted to hear this sound all night long, wanted to feel him close, to give him pleasure.  
She knew that engaging to intercourse was about being selfless. Giving oneself up to the other, going through pain and intense emotions, just to please the one you love.

She was willing to go through all of this, just so she could make him happy. And so was he.

Hands suddenly grabbed her backside, and coaxing her in a rhythm that made her breath ragged with anticipation, and giving her inner thighs a burning longing to feel him. Oh, how she wanted to feel him. Hands travelling beneath the hem of his shirt, she didn't hesitate to tug on it before he pulled it off for her, over his shoulder, dropping it to the floor, embracing each other again. She looked down at his form, admiring it with awe, finally touching and as soon as she had placed her palms on his chest, she started roaming them all over his body, feeling the muscles over his belly and his sides, his pecks and the bones sticking out on his back…  
He was so soft and warm, his skin still a bit sticky from the cold wetness outside.

"Oh, Gru…" she sighed, once he was kissing her neck, sucking on the thin layer of skin, quickly moving his hands over her thighs to tug her dress upwards, thumbs brushing the inner, softer sides. "Ohh, Gruu…"

He stopped, suddenly feeling like he had done something wrong, but as Lucy drew back to look at him, her eyes shimmered in lust.  
"Don't stop…"  
And he didn't.  
With a fast flick of his hands, she was undressed and stood in nothing but her underwear before him as the green dress slipped from his hands.  
Just as she did, he took the moment to stare at her body, inhaling heat and exhaling desire.  
She was just as beautiful as he could remember the day he had seen her body through her dress.  
And it was like a dream that he was seeing her now, exposed and in his arms.

Once his eyes looked back at her, he rushed back at her, pressing his lips on her as he intertwined his tongue with hers, making her moan into his mouth with surprising passion.  
"Bedroom…!" he growled against her lips, and she just mumbled: "Upstairs…" in response, being lost in his kisses.

For a second she though the sensation brought her down to her knees and made her slip and fall, but in real life, he had grabbed her to carry her across the room, nestling her in his arms, and she continued scratching her nails over his spine and shoulderblades, kissing the corner of his mouth and nipped on his lower lip, and he shut his eyes with a contented hum.  
Once upstairs, he didn't bother too much to look around the open room, but he could see the small bed, covered with stuffed animals and pillows, photos and newspaper strips hanging on the walls…he even could see photos of himself hanging there.

"Fan of me…?" he asked with a smug grin.  
"Oh yeah…!" she said, her hands running over his lower back, seductively snaking between belt and his skin, cupping his rear with her hands and he cringed, moaning helplessly from her nails digging inside his cheeks, kneading the firm muscles.

"Of all parts of you…" she added, one hand slipping out of his pants and back to the back of his head to pull him into another kiss. He flopped down on the bed with her, being buried in stuffed animals and pillows for a second, before their exploring became so rapid with rolling around in each other's embraces, arms and legs moving rapidly and kicking them off the bed.  
Gru lifted her body off the sheets to let her sit in his lap, and she saw his eyes being fixed on her bra. It was nice to see, but maybe it would be even better to touch?  
With a grin, Lucy reached behind to unhook it, but Gru stilled her hands. "Let me…" he murmured and she complied.  
Leaning into her, he pressed his chest against hers, fingers fumbling with the closure. It didn't even took less than five seconds until he had opened it with a flick of his thumb and pulled the straps from her, revealing her breasts beneath. Gru sat back, his gaze roaming over her neck and shoulders and the soft milky skin of her breasts, seeing the shade of red on her face and she suddenly raised her arms in embarrassment over his staring, hiding herself.

"Dun't…" he whispered, leaning in to kiss her in comfort, pushing her back into the sheets to hover above her. "Dhey're perfect…"  
"They are tiny…and unattractive…" Lucy still hid her bare form from him, feeling awkward and scared he'd eventually agree with her once he saw them himself. "Lucy…" Gru leaned down to kiss her nosetip and cheeks. "Yu're beautiful…yu're so beautiful and I love yu, no matter vhat."  
She softened from his words and sighed happily, letting him hold her wrist and pry her arms apart, eventually.

They were small, yes, but they just fit perfectly into his hands. Her nipples were small and from her arousal, they had grown hard and poked out straight. They weren't unattractive at all. In fact, once Gru reached or them to try and take them in his hands, he drew back, too shy to touch them and feel them, and with a giggle, Lucy grabbed his hand to let him cup them. They were so soft and beautiful, and he started massaging them, slightly startled as Lucy jerked from his sudden movements on hers, but moaned in pleasure, and Gru felt his body tensing up as a new wave of heat washed over his body, aching for her.  
Just watching her expressions shifting, her mouth open to emit delighted, pleased sounds, arching her back into him was enough for him to moan into the crook of her neck.  
Thumbs experimentally grazed the hardened tips, rubbing, pinching gently, and Lucy started squirming beneath him as she settled one hand over his to lead him where she loved it the most.

Gru quickly drew one hand back as the tension in his pants started to get so tight it was almost unbearable and with a gruff groan, he quickly shoved one hand down into it to give his erection some space.

"Ahh, _goddamn_…" he huffed, biting his lip. The strained flesh pounded against his hand, twitching and throbbing painfully, pressuring against the zipper. Seeing ten thin fingers reaching for his belt, he winced, but didn't pull back as Lucy started to unbuckle his belt and zip down his fly, making him sigh deeply in relief as his erection found some space beneath his underwear. Gru kicked them off and shoved them over the edge of the bed to return to her and before he knew what happened, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, hips pressed hard against him and once she knew he wasn't going to protest, she rolled her hips against him, fabric grinding on fabric, rubbing her entrance against his shaft and he hissed in pleasure, breath sounding sore and filled with lust. Soon, her hand snaked over his chest, down to his bellybutton and over the tiny black treasure line into his pants to vanish behind the white garment with the yellow smileys grinning at her, stroking over his soft hair before grabbing him. Gru jumped, shut his eyes and gasped loudly.

"N-No, w-wait, I –"

"Shh…"Lucy soothed him and wanting him to relax, running her hand over him in a teasing pattern, giving a few strokes, fingers mapping down his length and up to his tip again, or rubbing her palm against him. She hummed contentedly over the warmth and softness, feeling his hips starting to buck into her hand, willingly to go the next step, but Lucy took all the time she needed, teasing him. Gently stroking him, Gru repressed a moan and tipped his head back, giving her access to plant soft kisses on his collarbone.  
She felt amazing, her touches made him go crazy, Lucy was working him up so nicely and gentle and his breathing grew heavy and he started panting, sipping in the breath behind clenched teeth, shuddering hard, his bones quivering in pleasure, letting out a silent cry every time Lucy squeezed his tip.

_"Lucy…!"_

He curled his fingers into the duvet beneath her, and she soaked in his huffs and sighs and moans like it was a rare serum to give her the thrills, making her want him badly.

She could feel him twitch willingly in her palm, throbbing, expanding from time to time. She let go, giving a last gentle caress, before she reached for her own underwear to pull it off, now being completely naked. Just for him. Gru still had trouble with regaining his focus, yet as he was seeing her exposed body beneath him, his breath hitched inside his throat. She was just beautiful…her long, slim legs from her glorious round hips and curves, the patch of curly red hair, the darkish pink color between her legs -

"Oh gosh…" he gasped, aroused to no end.  
She was truly astonishingly beautiful. Lucy noticed him staring at her exposed skin - yet there was no shame or embarrassment. He loved her. Justas he said before.  
Hands trembling, he instantly grabbed her hips to lift her up slightly to meet his own.  
"G-Gru, what are you -?" Lucy propped herself up on her elbows, yet as she felt his fingers trailing down the line between her inner thigh and her entrance, she gasped, throwing her head back and letting him do his magic on her. Gru maneuvered his fingers over her sensitive skin, gently rubbing and caressing and teasing, his thumb gently pressing on her hard nub, giving her a jolt of pleasure.

"Oh, Gru!" she exclaimed with a giggle.

But he wasn't done yet. Curiosity won and he slipped a finger inside her, wincing by the tight hot mess his finger was surrounded by and he shivered with a light-headed moan when he remembered that he was going to feel himself inside her just some moments later.

Starting to move, she gasped each time he slipped back inside her, gently stroking her walls and testing the waters. She was already flustered, but feeling him moving inside her with such tenderness was making her lightheaded. Her fingers grabbed the pillow beneath her, clawing into the fabric. If she would grab onto him, his arms or his back, she was sure she was going to hurt him. Gru watched her reactions, her chest heaving and falling, hands grabbing to the pillows, pleased by his teasing. That made him smile – and her falling for him with pure bliss.  
Pulling out of her, he gave her a last stroke over her nub, before looking back at her, deep into her eyes and sunk down to give her a long and passionate kiss. How could he be so sinfully gentle…?

Once they drew back, they were staring long into each other's eyes and Lucy suddenly turned around to grab the drawer and open it, taking out a small package and opened it instantly, holding it in front of Gru's eyes. He looked between the ring and her and without saying a word, he quickly pulled down his underwear with less amount of grace to roll it over himself. Adjusting and once again, he hovered back over her, seeing as she admired him, making him suddenly feel the sort of embarrassment she felt before.

She had had some experiences like this and saw many men – but he was quite well endowed compared to the others, she admitted, blushing and giggling. Lucy wrapped her arms around him, feet settling on his hips to pull him between her parted legs.  
"Please…"  
He had been uncertain, almost fearing this moment – that he could hurt her. Or do worse to her. But her soft, caring gaze negated his anxiety.  
Staring intensely into her eyes, bracing himself with his hands on each side of her body, he slowly moved his hips against hers, his tip grazing her softness, and he gasped at the sweet sensation, feeling her hips raising, taking this as his invitation.

He pushed inside her. Lucy threw her head back, eyes tight shut and mouth open into a silent cry, fingernails digging inside his back but her features relaxed once he was fully inside, gasping with deep lust. Heavily breathing, he nodded, propping himself on his shaking arms, shuddering by how good she felt, lost in the feeling of her hot, wet tightness.  
"Oh, jesus…" he breathed against her neck. How could he deny this feeling all these years? How could he keep himself away from witnessing this sensation? Lucy gently rolled her hips against his. And Gru started moving. He pulled away until only the tip was still inside of her, relishing the friction against his straining flesh, only to push back in, his breath hitching at the sweet intensity.

Lucy moaned and arched up, pleased by his thickness moving inside her, overwhelmed by the emotions running through her body as she pulled him down into a kiss, their tongues wrestling with each other, the passion between them starting to rise with each movement. It felt amazing - it didn't hurt. Nor did it feel uncomfortable for her. It was like they were meant for each other in this act of love.  
Gru listened to his and her heavy breathing, to the occasional gasp and moans of both of them, and his mind was caught in this moment, this place where everything was silent, and nothing existed but the exquisite, intense heat and the green seas of Lucy's eyes.

Bending down to his forearms, he pressed his lips on her neck and shoulder, hands resting beneath her body as he held her close, her chest grazing against his, occasionally grabbing her breasts to squeeze them and make her squeal in delight.  
He kept thrusting, watching her expressions, feeling her hands running up and down his body and grabbing his backside, helping him along with finding the right angles, digging her nails inside his skin, making him growl in pleasure and pumping into her faster and faster.

Staring into her eyes was like seeing into the cosmos itself. The wide, unknown place he wanted to visit. The moon he had wanted to catch and keep for his own.  
No. This was better than the moon. This was better than anything else. Clarity struck him as he knew without doubt that he was hers. And she was his. And he wanted her, now and forever.

_"Lucyy…!"_ he moaned long and deeply. Gru buried his face into her neck as sensation took over, giving in to the increasing intensity. Thrusting into her deep, again and again, hearing their rising cries and moans, both desperate to feel the relief of release.  
_"Gru…!"_ she responded, clinging to him for her dear life as pleasure was coming upon them, slowly and overwhelmingly. "Oh god…Gru!"  
"I-I love yu…" he whispered beneath his breath with gasps and moans becoming ragged. "I love yu, Lucy…_I love yu_…"

"Gru, I love – I-I love _– I-I—_"

And before she could finish, she tensed up, releasing with a impassioned cry, her body tightening, pulsating, clenching around him and falling lost in the swirl of her climax. Gru moaned hard into her neck once her orgasm set in and with a few more thrusts, he couldn't bear it anymore.  
Her body, her voice, her skin and his heart pounding loudly –  
He gave in to his desire in a loud, guttural growl, ripped from his chest, bright flashes zinged through his closed eyelids as he groaned words of adoration in his foreign, Russian mother language;  
Lucy listened closely to his words, though she didn't understand him, but it was nevertheless the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.  
Once he came down from his high, he collapsed on top of her, breathing hard and ragged and nuzzling his face into her hair.  
The air was filled with electricity. Their lungs burned like they were on fire. Muscles and bones vibrating. Everything felt heavy and light as a feather at the same time.

Lucy's legs loosened around his hips, hands still clinging to his back and drawing gentle patterns over his neck and shoulders and kissing his jawline with a few more small and content moans.  
Minutes that felt like hours he was lying there, embraced with her in a fullbody-hug, listening to their heartbeats pounding loudly and fast, feeling the pulse on her neck slam against his lips.

A wave of feelings spilled over him, embraced him – the sudden realization how much he had missed the intimacy. And how astonishingly satisfying it was to share it with her and now, lying here in her arms, his heart was almost exploding of how fast it pounded for her. It was all so strong and so mighty, it blew his mind.

He pulled out and rolled on his back next to her, hands clinging to the sheets beneath him as he still was gasping for air, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes to progress all these emotions Lucy saw this and smiled, moving closer to him to kiss his cheek - and started laughing softly.  
"Vha…vhat?" Gru looked back at her with a confused look on his face. "Vhat's so funny…?"  
"Oh, nothing! I-it's nothing." She chuckled, holding her hand before her mouth.  
"This was just…wow - high five!"

She held out her flat palm and he tiredly moved his own against hers in a fast movement.  
Both giggling happily and like drunken teenager, they moved closer to each other, Gru wrapping his arms around her and Lucy pulled the duvet over them, nuzzling her face against his chest. He smelled so good, his natural body odor was delighting, his warmth was comforting and she gently caressed his shoulder and arm which held her tightly around her waist, admiring his hot skin drenched in their sweat and hot air around them.  
Lucy knew sex would change them. But she didn't realize to what extent and how soon. In that moment, staring at him, she realized all the words he said to her were true. She didn't think she could love him more, but she was wrong. He was slowly and without doubt becoming her everything, and she was his.

They eyed each other, Lucy snorting once she noticed Gru had a few hickeys on his neck and behind his ear and Gru brushed the streaks of red hair from her sweaty forehead.  
"Mhh…we should have done this earlier…" she purred satisfied. "Yeah…" Gru mumbled, moving his lips to her ear to gently suck and nibble on her earlobe and Lucy squirmed surprised, being ticklish there.  
"Lucy…?"  
"Heheh…yes?"  
"Please dun't leave me…" he muttered once again, voice low and worn out from their previous lovemaking.  
Lucy opened her mouth, but she closed it again, her smile and beaming melting back into a sad expression. She didn't want to. Not now. She had to – but how could she? After what happened, after this moment of deep intimacy, she wished nothing more than being with him here, holding him and telling each other how much they love each other.

"I know yu love yur job and I'm happy yu have dis mission jus' for yu, but –" Gru gulped to sooth his sore throat. "I dun't want to let yu go alone…vhat if anythin' happens to yu…?"  
Lucy sighed with a smile and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him on his lips.  
"Shh…We'll see tomorrow, sweetheart."

...

The next morning, Lucy woke up by something stirring next to her. She blinked, slowly pushing her heavy body off of the sheets and was first surprised over finding out she was naked.  
Yet as she moved her head from the left to the right and saw somebody peacefully sleeping in the usually free and empty spot in her bed, she couldn't help but giggle.  
It wasn't a dream after all…  
He really had spent the night with her, in this very bed. Her heart suddenly pounded loudly in happiness, realizing her dreams came true at last.  
Lucy just sat there, watching him. His back and chest lifting slowly with each steady breath, eyes closed and lips barely parted. He was so beautiful lying there and resting and sleeping peacefully. It was like she saw a different somebody in him.  
Somebody she didn't know would exist inside him after all.

She loved him. She loved him so much, every part of him. If it was the grumpy, ingenious ex-villain and father of three, or the man that had claimed her as his just the other night, tenderly, lovingly, passionately – it didn't matter.  
Lying down on the bed again, she slipped close to her beloved Gru, pressing her body flush against his back and wrapped her arms around his large torso, placing soft kisses on his shoulder. He was still sleeping, snoring silently, but starting to murmur and stir a lot when Lucy started to caress the soft skin on his chest.

"Mhhph?"  
"Good morning, Mister smiley-pants."

Gru shifted and looked over his shoulder, seeing a happy freckled face smiling at him. The room that had been nearly dark just the other day was now flooded with bright sunshine and he grunted, rolling around in her arms to avoid the sunlight, blue, sleepy eyes staring back into her green pools, feeling her hand caress his cheek. The emotions from previous night filled his heart and mind once again, to a fewer extend, yet powerful and effectively after all.

"Hey…" he grinned tiredly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stay dhe night…"  
"That's okay…" Lucy leaned in to give him a kiss, and then she added with a wink: "More than okay…Slept well, at least?"  
"Mh-hm…" he nodded, combing her hair with his fingers and admiring her beautiful face in the morning light. "But yu kept kicking me in yur sleep…"  
Lucy laughed. "I'm sorry, big guy, I'm just always energetic, even in my sleep."  
He quirked his eyebrow, but he smiled.  
"That's my job after all, as an agent you always have to move– always alert, always ready to fight –"

And then her face suddenly shifted and she rushed up, back to prop herself up on her arms.  
"Oh god, what time is it?!" she gasped, without hesitation climbing over Gru, here and there accidentally kicking or punching him while she tried to reach the nightstand on the other side of the bed and grab her phone to check the time.  
"_Ow!_ _Ouch!_ Lucy, chillax a bit, will yu?!"  
"It's ten in the morning! I just…"  
She sunk back on the bed, shoulders slumping and blinking at her phone in frustration.  
"I just missed my flight…"

She dropped the phone and sighed.  
Gru looked up at her in the pale morning light, admiring her bare form and her slightly crunched face. Even if she was angry, she just looked so gorgeous, and he reached up to touch her arm.  
"Lucy, I'm sorry…maybe dis vasn't a good idea after all?"  
Lucy looked back down at him, hesitating for a while, before she smiled and shook her head, leaning back over him to settle herself down on his chest.  
"It was, Gru. Actually – this was the best thing that could have happen."

Gru sighed in relief, looping his arms around her form and held her close to him. She wouldn't leave him, and that was all he cared about right now. And so did Lucy. Somehow, she would explain Silas how she had missed her flight, and she didn't care how mad he would be. Lying there for a while, he placed kisses on her forehead while Lucy rubbed over his soft chest, feeling his heartbeat pounding against her palm. It was a slow and calming pace, and soon, she relaxed.

"Well, come on now, big guy. We need a shower…!"


	6. Comfort

**Date #35**

Boy…he wouldn't have had guessed this entire "love"-business could be so hard.  
Why he thought so?  
To sum up his current situation: The amounts of dates he had with Lucy were stuck by 35 now. Stuck means…well, it pretty much means what it says.

He had confessed his love to her, about one and a half months ago now. He had had sex with the beautiful redhead and thus boycotted her flight to Cuba, which had cost her the fees of the flight and two weeks freetime. The last message he had received from her was informing him that she wasn't going to have time for dates in future, for she had a lot of paperwork to do. That was, about two weeks ago. And from there on, Gru heard absolutely nothing from her. He texted or called her, but on neither she answered. He felt guilty. Extremely guilty. He had his fun, she had her fun and this is what they paid for. Also Gru had to suffer the wrath of Ramsbottom. Temporary banishment from any conferences, Missions and the Raise he was about to get was canceled too. Not that he cared about this. He was more afraid of Lucy.

Once Silas heard about her missing the flight because of an "Emergency", he knew exactly what has happened. Lucy was terrible at lying – and he was a leader of a league for villains and criminals. He saw through lies as if they were glass.

And he was sure – she was just about that close to lose her job – and he too. But what luck he couldn't relinquish his two best agents in the entire league. Also, Lucy defended him in front of their boss, just as he announced that both of them weren't going to work together again. Which was something even he didn't dare to do.

Gru sighed deeply as he sat on his chair in his office, going through some lists and bills for bananas, supplies for his laboratory and files he needed to sort out for the new recruited Agents he was going to train in future – his phone close to his coffee mug, in hope she would answer.

But nothing.

Somehow, Gru was asking himself if he had done something wrong. He went through the last few dates to the night he met with Lucy. The last date was a nice day with the kids in the park, the other one they were at the coast to watch the sunset. The other wasn't really a date, more like some help on his part- she and he went to tell Silas about the scrubbed mission and after that, he helped her to calm down a bit.  
And…then came the night he was telling her that he loved her. He was sure that it was a way too bold move. And the worst time he could have chosen to confess it!

But he had to. He simply had to. Thinking that Lucy was leaving for sixty days had been ripping out his heart from his chest. What if she had found somebody else there? What if she was harmed? He wasn't a control-freak – he was just scared and worried. And he knew she appreciate this. But just how much he tried to sugarcoat this night with her – he had ruined some big step in Lucy's career.

By that time Gru noticed that he had started to drum his pen on the paper while sunken in thoughts and left blue small dots on the sheets.  
He placed the pen next to him, took a big gulp from his cup and shook his head. No more distractions! I need to get this stuff done here!

Gru hated starting things he couldn't bring to a close. Being a busy man, a boss of thousands of minions, a father to three young girls, weaponry-engineer for the AVL and the operator of a gigantic jelly-fabric, it was a priority to be diligent. More than diligent! A work-a-holic!  
The thoughts and worries weren't needed in his professional life.  
And suddenly, his phone started vibrating. Gru jerked slightly, turning his head to his phone. Somebody called.

Lucy!

Without hesitation, he grabbed the phone and accepted the call.  
"Lucy…!" - "Gru…?"  
A shudder ran down his spine. Oh dear – she sounded terrible. Her voice was hoarse, low, powerless.  
"Lucy, vhat – are yu okay?"  
"Y-yeah, yeah, I'm fine…a bit tired I guess…I just called to apologize I didn't contact you throughout all this time…I have just…so much to do…"  
"Lucy, it's fine." The guilt bubbled up inside him one more time. This was not good! This was not good at all! He could literally hear the exhaustion through her voice, the lack of sleep and the frustration and he gulped hard.

"Anyway…how are you doing?"  
"Uh – fine. I'm fine…but yu sound a bit stressed! Has Silas put more work on yur list?"  
"Yes, he did…" she said in a sigh, pausing for a long while. "I've gotta finish this stuff here until next week, uh… I really need to pull myself together, I'm a bit whiny today I guess."

"Lucy, vhat yu need is a break" Gru said in a firm voice.  
"Noo, no, no! I can't. I definitely can't right now. This stack of files need to be done this evening, I can't stop just now."  
"Yu sound like yu haven't slept in days, yu really shuld take things slower."  
"Gru, I just told you that I can't!" she said in a louder, angrier voice. "It's a wonder I even have time to call you at this moment!"

Gru silenced. Probably Lucy noticed now that her answer was a bit harsh, so she mumbled:" I'm sorry Gru…I'm just very, very stressed, I haven't slept good the last few days, my head hurts like hell and I'm starving…"

"Shall I come over and make yu some dinner?"  
"No…No, big guy, just – just let me finish my work here, okay?"

"…"Gru silenced once again, chewing on his lower lip. "Fine." – "Thank you. Anyway…I'll call you when I'm through with everything, okay? …Gru?"  
"Uh, yes?" Gru was pulling on his jacket and scarf, trying to hold the phone between his ear and his shoulder. "I said I'll call back when I'm done with the paperwork."  
"Oh, yeah, okay. Sure…"

So not sure!

"See ya then."

And with that, Lucy ended the call, before he put his phone in the pocket of his pants. No way was he going to let Lucy suffer from the stress and time-pressure like this!

Sure, she had to finish these stacks of paperwork, but she had defended him in front of Silas, she was the reason he still was working with her together in the first place.  
Striding through the house, he picked up some supplies from the bathroom, the kitchen, his keys and wallet. Agnes watched him from the distance.  
Whenever her Dad was hectically picking up stuff all around the house, she knew instantly that he was about to head out.

"Where are you going, Gru?"  
"Oh – Agnes…" he mumbled and turned around like he was caught.

"You're heading out, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am…uh, d-dhe AVL called me and vanted to see me. It wun't take long, dun't worry."  
"Can I come with you?" she asked. "V-vhat? Vhy?"  
"I always wanted to see yours and Lucy's working place!" she clutched her unicorn to her chest and gave him _"the glance"_ again. Oh dear, not the glance…"Pretty please?"

"Aw, sweetheart…" he knelt down to put his hands beneath her arms and lifted her up, kissing her forehead. "It's not dat spectacular, yu know? And I'm not even sure if children are allowed to be in dis buildin' anyway."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because…" he pondered for a minute. "Well, Agnes, it's not safe for kids dhere. Dhey have weapons and lasers, and tasors and odher stuff dat culd hurt yu. It's way different dhan Super Silly Fun Land."  
"Oh…I see." She mumbled. "But you'd protect me, right?"  
"Of course, keetten. I'd keep yu away from harm…" Agnes nodded and smiled, and hugged him with her small arms. Phew…good safe! He truly hated lying to his kids about where he was heading to, but if he would have told her who he actually was visiting, she wouldn't let him go with her excitement.

...

"Goddamn, you gotta be kidding me…"

Lucy groaned and dropped her head in her arms on the table, some folders slipping off and dropped on the floor.  
This was it! She had enough…  
After three hours of constant sorting out, writing, reading, checking, scribbling down, running through the shredder or cursing all the files she went through, she was exhausted to no end. And now that she found out that she still had fifty more to go, she was losing it!  
Grumbling and murmuring, occasionally whimpering and sniffling, she just realized that this means she wasn't going to have free time this weekend as well. Or the next week. Or the next week after next week.

It felt like all she was doing wasn't bringing her one step further to the end, and it seemed so terribly pointless. Why was Silas torturing her like this? He couldn't blame her for falling in love with her partner, and he definitely should not punish her for thing that weren't even his business. He wasn't a cruel man, nor did she despise him – in fact, this man was like a father to her. When Gru was suggested to be recruited to help them in the case, Silas was taking her under his wings and tried to change her mind over going to ask him. "He's a dangerous man." He had said. "We cannot trust him."

But she was probably blinded by her fussiness over meeting her favorite villain, for she insisted to take this job.

Maybe…maybe he was just trying to actually help her. She knew Gru wasn't meaning any harm. She witnessed him around her – never had she met somebody being this gentle and caring and tenderly to her. But Ramsbottom wasn't trusting him, and he had his reasons. He knew more about Gru than she did – what if Gru really did something in his past that notched the seriousness of his reputation up?

Grabbing her empty cup, she scuffed into the kitchen to get more coffee. She needed to stay concentrated. She needed to stay awake.

"Goddamnit!" in the heat of the moment, Lucy clenched her fist and crushed it down into the apparently not working coffee-machine. And hurt her hand badly."Agh! Ffff-"

Suddenly, she went quiet as she heard something on her windows. Little thuds. Somebody was throwing stones at her windows again!  
Furiously walking to her living room, she grabbed her windows and pried them apart in a swing.

_**"QUIT IT, YOU PUNKS!"**_

Her voice echoed over the empty street. These goddamn hooligans! Why did they always choose her window? "Pst! Pssst!"  
Wait, did she just heard somebody saying "Psst?"  
_"WHAT?!"_ she growled, looking down her balcony. And she couldn't believe who was standing outside, again, on the same spot, under the lantern, looking up at his beloved Juliet on the balcony.

"Gru…?"

Gru had lowered his head by her irate yelling, shyly lifting his hand to wave. Lucy blinked confused. What a deja-vu!

...

"Gru, when the hell are you going to learn to knock on my door instead of throwing stones at my window!" - "S-sorry…force of habit…" Gru was hunching his shoulders.  
"Habit? Ugh, Gru, you're not throwing stones at your own home, stop telling me something about habits!" - "…S-Sorry…"

Lucy's voice had hushed down the volume of her voice, for the walls were like paper. But the stressed angriness still remained. She had let him in, and now, she was standing in the doorframe with her hand clenched around the doorknob. Her hair was a mess, so were her clothes – and looking inside her apartment, he could tell it looked just as worse as well. She didn't wear make-up, but some black, almost fading streaks still were smeared around her eyes and her cheeks.

Lucy's face shifted as soon as she noticed that he was eyeing her intensively.  
"What are you even doing here, huh?" she hissed. "I thought I told you to leave me alone!"  
"Lucy, I'm not goin' to let dhe stress get dhe best of yu!" he said firmly, eyebrows knitting together. "Yu're completely overworked!"  
"Gru, I told you a thousand times, a thousand times, I cannot stop now, okay?!" she raised her voice more.  
"I still have over three hundred cases to check, to sort and what not else, so, if you want anything from me, make it short!"  
"All I vant is yu to let me help yu!"  
" I don't need your help! I am fine!"  
"Yu're not fine!" he started yelling now.  
"As if you would care!"  
"Lucy, dat's enough!"

Both of them silenced as from next door loud and angry knocks were heard and a muffled voice complained about the volume outside. Looking at each other for a while in complete silence, both their faces softened up, until Lucy let her head hang down.  
"I'm…I'm sorry Gru…"  
"Hey…Lucy…it's a'right…" he reached for her face, but drew back, scared she was going to bite off his fingers if he would do just one wrong move.  
"May…May I come in?"  
"…Yes, please…come inside…" she nodded and stepped aside to grant him entrance.

Her apartment was, compared to his home, extremely small. She just had about three rooms, A big living room with a couch and a table with chairs, the open kitchen and a counter, and up the stairs was her bedroom, which was just separated through a hip-high wall.  
Remembering back the evening where it was raining, he could recall it was way more tidier inside here.  
"I'm sorry about the mess, can I offer you a drink?"  
"Nah, thanks…"  
His glance was fixed on the stack of folders on the small office desk. Files and loose sheets of paper were spread over the entire place, a pile of empty mugs and waterbottles, half-eaten instant soups and other trash. She sure was working her ass off…  
"Silas seriously gave yu dat much of work to finish…?" he turned around to her with a cocked eyebrow.  
"Yes…" she said tiredly, holding her head. "Is dhere a deadline?" he asked, picking up some of the papers to neatly put them back into the folders where they belonged. "Well, next week I should be at least done with at least half of it…"  
He could tell by the mess on her desk that she didn't finish anything quite yet.

"But although I work through night and day to try and achieve something, it just…" she paused as her voice started to break. Gru turned around to see Lucy clutching her arms around her body to hold herself and gulp down her upcoming tears.  
" – It feels like I'm not progressing at all, and it becomes just more and more…and more and…"  
A tear ran down her cheek. "I am just so frustrated…and my head is killing me and now I vent and yell at you and –"  
"Lucy…" Gru had come closer to her with his hands resting on her arms, comfortingly caressing her skin.  
"I'm such a useless crybaby…"  
"Lucy…"  
A part of him that he didn't know existed felt like it died as he saw her so down, and crying in front of him in helplessness. He drew her closer and hugged her tightly. "Oh Lucy…yu're not useless…"  
"Yes I am…" she whined, nevertheless she looped her arms around him in return and pressed her face into his chest. "I am just a failure and a terrible spy and agent…"  
"Lucy, no…dis is all jus' my fault. Dis was all jus' a terrible mistake. I knew yu were goin' on dis mission, and I knew yu vanted to have dis opportunity, yet I had to keep yu away from dis…I'm sorry, Lucy…I shuld have –"  
"No, Gru, No. This wasn't a mistake…" she sighed, holding him tighter. "I loved it, and…I wanted to stay. I didn't want to leave you too…"

Both their hearts seemed to pound loudly again, heated by each other's words, caressing their souls and minds, soothing these aching spots. It felt so good to know that there was somebody after all she could open her soul to and pour out all the evil thoughts and ideas that cloud her brain with anxiety. And it just was so comfy, having him close to her with her arms around his form, her head pressed against his chest and soaking in his scent, and feeling his hand caressing and comforting her – it made her tearing up even more. Gru cradled her head, pressing tender and loving kisses on her cheek and her forehead, listening to her sniffling and sobbing and he hummed soothing sounds into her ear.

"Shh…it's okay, Lucy…it's okay…"

She felt herself melting in his arms. Just this heartwarming gesture of being held in his arms, being kissed and caressed and soothed like a little baby, and then the way he was speaking to her in this low and consoling voice – she wanted to blurt out how much she loved him, how much she was thankful that he was here with her and apologize over and over again how rude she was to him. But he already drew back and looked back at her, gently brushing her tears away with his thumb. Gulping, she forced herself to smile. There he was again; That tender and smooth and amiable Gru that seemed to be hidden down beneath all these layers of his character. It just came to the surface for two people: His children, and her.  
This was making her feel so special, so unique…

"Come on…I'll prepare yu a bath…"

"W-what…?" she stammered, taken away by his words.

Gru turned around and without saying another word, he quickly walked into the bathroom of hers, pushed his coat off his shoulders and was preparing the bath for her. She truly thought she couldn't feel more adoration and love towards this man – but he seemed to surprise her just again and again. Giddily smiling, she followed him. Sitting down on the toilet seat, she watched with a warm smile on her lips. The tub slowly filled with hot water – she missed feeling her body surrounded in warmth. She hadn't had a shower for days.

"Gru…just why are you doing this for me?"  
He looked up at her with a confused expression.

"Huh?"  
"Why are you giving me a bath?"  
"Well…first of all, yu really, really need to relax, even if it's jus' for ten or twenty minutes. " He pulled up his sleeves. She was skeptical first, but Gru shook his head. "Look, I'm a businessman, fadher of three leetle gurls and boss of some...thousand of munchkins, I know vhen stress is gettin' overwhemlin'!"  
Lucy stared at him in awe. Wow - suddenly she asked herself how he managed all of that - and what a crybaby she really was to complain about some sheets of paper when he had a full time job. "And second…yur hair starts to get a leetle bit…not so soft and beautiful." She chuckled. Gosh, he was just such a sweetheart!  
Gru grabbed for some soap and poured it into the water, bubbled emerged from beneath the surface and rose up further and further, building a thick foam-layer over the water. Once it was full, he stood up once more, stepping aside and put his hands behind his back.

"Dhere yu go…"

"…Thank you Gru." Lucy smiled genuinely at him, before she stood up from her spot to get undressed. She wasn't ashamed of showing her exposed skin to him, he had seen her before, and she had seen him. Yet as she stripped down her shirt and bra, she could hear him swallow. She grinned, but continued. Running her hands along her waist and down to her hips, she pushed down her jogging pants and followed by her underwear, being completely naked now. Gru bit his lip. Wow…she was just beautiful. Her skin looked so soft and touchable, and remembering the night back then, he could affirm that it was very much. He wanted to feel it again, pretty soon. But for now, he blushed and fumbled like mad with his fingers behind his back, looking away.

"Hey, why so ashamed, big guy…?" Lucy asked in a sultry, teasing voice. "You saw this before, right?"  
"Y-yeah, I know…" he rolled his eyes. "Yu're jus'… hard to ignore, if yu know vhat I mean…"  
Another chuckle escaped her before she turned around to walk towards the tub, dipping her feet inside and then slowly, she sat down. A sigh left her lungs. "Ah, yes…" she gave a contented, soft moan. "This is what I'm talking about…I really needed this…"  
Luckily, the bubbled covered up most parts of her body, so Gru wouldn't get too excited by the sight of her naked form.  
Lucy closed her eyes and sunk deeper into the warm water, relaxing slowly – and a bit more color came back into her face.

"Ain't too hot?"  
"Nope…"  
"Ain't too cold?"  
"Nope-di-nope…" she retorted  
Gru nodded and smiled. Good. All she needed now was perfect rest. And he'd make sure she'd get this. Her hands raised from beneath the foam to make a come-hither-motion with her hands towards him and he obeyed, walking up to her and sitting down next to the tub, leaning his arms over the edge and resting his head on them. "You know – you're awesome…" Lucy said, her body vanished beneath the coat of white bubbled and lather, only her head poking out to turn to him. "Huh…I am awesome, a'right." Gru answered with a complacent grin. He received a slash of water in his face for his comment.

"Hey…" he chuckled.  
"You're so smug sometimes…"  
"Really? Some seconds ago I was awesome, wasn't I?"  
The way his thick, shaggy eyebrows moved made Lucy laugh. "Yeah, you are awesome…and smug…but awesome…"  
Yes, truly. She couldn't tell him often enough how great he was. Back when she was still new at the AVL, she never had expected to meet her villainous idol in real life, or even go out with him. By now, the entire league was getting pretty sick and tired of Lucy's endless admiration-speech of this man.  
Silence had grown between the two again, Lucy enjoying her bath and relaxing slowly, while Gru watched her with dreamy eyes. What a lucky man he was to be sitting next to this beautiful woman, to go on dates with her, to hug and kiss and caress her…and to make love to her. What a lucky man he was to share the same love and passion for each other, and to have these rare moments outside their work and home to spend time with her. Lucy had her eyes closed and a smile on her lips, hands sometimes rising to the surface of the water to stroke the foam around, or to spill water over the hills of her shoulders. Suddenly, she felt Gru shift next to her, yet she was so worn out and relaxed, she didn't open her eyes.

But nevertheless, she felt his presence close to her, he leaned over the edge of the tub, hand running over her cheekbone and up her wet hair, and she opened her eyes to meet his own. They were so beautiful. She never had seen such intense, bright and colorful, blue eyes before. They gleamed in the darkness and in the light and it were sending shivers down her spine whenever this glance was catching hers. And that glance...oh how she loved this glance on him. Knowing that he only looked at her like this was making her heart skip a beat. He leaned in, and she accepted, arms rising to loop around his neck as they kissed each other, long and deeply. The stress dropped off her like a stone. How astonishing the effects of a simple kiss were. Hands gliding from his neck down his cheeks, she pulled him deeper against her.

The tension of the lack of air was forcing them to pull apart, once again looking into each other's eyes.  
"I love yu…" he whispered.  
"…I love you too, Gru." She said. And it was genuine. It was real. "…even if you're a bit priggish." Lucy added in a sing-song and he giggled a breathy laughter before they kissed once again.  
Then a whole while, none of them said a word but just looked deep and lovingly into each other's eyes.

...

A few moments later, Lucy sat in her bathrobe on the couch, her hair dripping, but her face was tiredly beaming at the man that stood in her kitchen to make her some dinner. She must admit – she felt way better now. Having a bath, made by that handsome stallion over there, kissing and simply talking, and now she was even getting some dinner done. With a happy sigh, she grabbed one of her pillows and clutched it to her chest like she was a little girl holding her teddybear. All certain images and memories popped up in her head: How lovingly tender he had been during their lovemaking, his voice, the words he said to her, the warmth of his skin and the smell he wore after their activities. She loved everything about this. About him. And she was more than willing to do it again.

"Dhere yu go, Lucy…" he returned to the couch with a plate full of spaghetti's and handed them to her. Her eyes grew from tired to wide and her mouth dropped open. "Wow…Gru, they look delicious!" Indeed! She had been feeding from instant-food from boxes and cans for months, and having somebody cooking her a meal that was fresh and made with love was something very special. He really should come over more often to cook her dinner…Snuggling next to Gru, she started eating, first a bit hesitantly, for it was still hot, but once she tried the first bite, she couldn't believe how tasty this was.  
"Mmmh! Gru, this…" she took another bite. "This is delicious!"  
"Heh…thank yu very much – I've been –"  
"I can't believe how I missed this! How did I even survive from can-food all this ti—are those mushrooms?! Oh, Gru I love this!"

And three minutes later, Lucy had emptied the entire plate and only left a used fork and some noodles. Gru has pleasantly surprised over her hunger. He had seen his kids in a hungry state – but she definitely broke the record of the fastest eater.  
Holding her belly, she leaned against the couch, her head rested on Gru's chest.  
"Wow…this was perfect! I can't remember eating something this good…where did you learn to cook like this?"  
"Oh, heh, well…I've been cookin' for a whole lot of leetle munchkins and myself – and now for three hungry gurls as well. I guess skills come vith practice after all." Lucy smiled. Once again, the thought of a villain who was an amazing cook and father just warmed her heart. Not to forget that he was also good in some certain "other" qualities.

"Yu feelin' better?"  
"Yes…thank you so much…I really needed this."  
"Yu think yu can work a bit better now?"  
"I hope so…"  
Her hand ran over his chest and up to stroke his cheek. "You're really awesome…"  
Gru chuckled and wrapped his arms around her to hold her close to himself. "Oh yeah?" - "So yeah." she nodded, hands caressing his short neck.  
"You're kind. And gentle... and a wonderful father and friend..." she looked up at him. "A great cook...a great bath-maker...a quite quality partner if it comes to sweet little activities in the bedroom..." he bit his lip to press down a snicker. "Ohh - and not to forget: Some handsome, so amazingly talented villain; Or, well, ex-villain, as a matter of fact."  
Once again, Gru laughed feebly. They cuddled against each other, here and there sharing little kisses or staring at each other, and Gru was internally trying to prepare himself for a very important question. How should he begin? And how should he do it without making it sound creepy or weird? He gulped – and Lucy noticed how tensed he was all of the sudden. Sure, they had spent quite a few very imitate moments – all these dates they attended, the handholding, the kisses, the first time and they even shared the shower together. There was nothing more to be nervous about – right?

"Are you okay?"  
"Y-yes…I'm sorry, just… remembering… a few things." - "Aha?"  
"Well…" he looked down at her and saw a glint of curiosity. "I must, uhm…confess somethin' to yu…"  
The shift in his tone was unsettling her and she sat up, giving him some space to tell her what was on his mind.  
Gru sighed and leaned over his knees, his hands folded in a thoughtful matter and his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Well… here is dhe thing: …I really appreciate how yu see me and describe me as a great fadher and carin' person – dis doesn't happen often."  
She smiled at him and he smiled back – weakly.  
"But… but there has been a time vhere dis vasn't dhe case."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Vhat I mean is dat I haven't alvays been a good fadher to dhem – or a carin' person."  
Lucy frowned slightly.

"As yu may know – my only goal was to steal dhe moon, and nothin' wuld have stopped me. I merely adopted dhe kids furst for one purpose – to help me steal dhe tool I'd need to grab dhe moon. And afterwards, I'd get rid of dhem. I didn't care about dhem – I didn't care if dhey wuld die or be injured. I didn't care if dhey were lost or all by dhemselves. I didn't care if dhey'd ever become my daughters or not - I was truly a despicable person back dhen… and dhen slowly, dhey started to become my family. My children…"A melancholic sigh escaped his lungs. "If I think back dhere, I feel horrible. Almost like I didn't deserve dhem. And… and dhen as I met yu, it was dhe same to me: I didn't care vhat wuld happen to yu, I didn't care who yu are and vhat yu vant from me, and dhen I slowly started to feel… happy around yu. And nervous. And scared at dhe same time… heck, vhen yu said yu'd leave, I was heartbroken. I culdn't deal vith dhe fact dat I wuld never ever see yu again…"

Lucy's eyes started to fill with tears. But not because of anger, but out of the outburst of emotions.

"…I'm not even sure if I ever told yu about dis, but – I have been tryin' to call yu and ask yu for a date…and in dhe end, I only burned down my telephone." He grinned. "It took a long time for me before I realized vhat is important to me, and vhat I love dhe most. I curse my own modher for dis, she never had been a carin' person as well…Yet today I know vhat is important to me and vhat I cherish dhe most –" And with that, he turned around to grab her hands. "I love yu, Lucy, and – and I wanna make yu happy. So…uh…" Gosh, he was starting to sweat like a pig! Hopefully she didn't notice it…

"D-Du…du yu…du yu wanna be my gurlfriend…?"

There…he said it!  
He didn't look into her eyes – he feared to see disgust and that she'd push him away and curse and yell at him and leave him… like so many did before.  
But she didn't say a word – instead, just moments afterwards, he felt a sudden force pushing against him and flinging him to his back.

_"Umph!"_  
The air was knocked out of his chest. Regaining his focus, his eyes sought for the reason of this sudden tackle-attack; and he detected Lucy, clinging to him, with her head nuzzled in the crook of his neck and her fingers clawing into the fabric of his sweater. "Gru…" she whispered. "I – I love you so much, -you have no idea…" She was lost in babbling and hiccups. "Since the day I saw you I was loving you, and I was—" Lucy gulped, sitting up to hover over him and stare into his eyes with intensity. "I don't care about who you were in the past – and what you did. How you treated me or the girls…for you are what you are today. That defines you. A-and…and y-yes…" - "Y-yes vhat?" he asked, not sure if he should laugh or whine or anything else.

"Yes, Gru, I wanna be your girlfriend…"

They kissed deeply, holding each other, Gru feeling a deep inner relief and relaxation. He smiled between their kisses. She said yes…she wanted to be his girlfriend…He wouldn't disappoint her! Once the urge to breath became overwhelming, they drew back, staring deep into each other's eyes.  
"Thank you…for everything." She whispered. "No problem…" he replied, giving a smug grin.  
Suddenly, ten thin fingers roamed over his chest and down to his hips, brushing his fly dangerously close.

"H-Huh…?" Gru looked up at her and saw her licking her lips, giving him a sulky glance.  
"You know, I still have to reward you for all this…"  
Her hands found the hem of his sweater and teasingly slipped beneath, touching his hipbones and running them along his sides. He cringed.  
"_O-Ohhh,_ boy…"  
Lucy felt him shiver beneath him and smirked, leaning in to hover her lips seductively over his lips.  
"So, what can I do for you in return?"  
"E-ehh…" Gru stammered. Wow, he hadn't had expected them to make out now.  
"W-we-well…w-wu-wuld yu like to…to continue datin' vith me?"  
"Mhhh…oh yes." She whispered into his ear. "I'd love to."

Her lips found that spot beneath his ear that was apparently his weakest point. And she seemed to know his weakest spots by heart, for she let her tongue glide over it and suck on the skin, making him gasp. He couldn't really think what was honestly better – knowing that the girl of his dreams was officially his girlfriend now, the fact she was dating him again – or that he was about to get "rewarded". A pleasant burn started to take over his body. Her hands ran over his chest and his own were touching her hips, running down her legs and up to her firm backside again. And then suddenly, she stopped everything she did.

A sudden awkward silence set in. Gru stopped in his movements as well and waited for Lucy to continue. But, oddly, she didn't. She was still leaning her head against his and her body was flush pressed against his own. And her hands were lingering on his sides. He wouldn't continue until she would; but something told him that she wouldn't.  
"Uhm… Lucy…?" he whispered.  
No answer.  
"Lucy?"

Suddenly, a silent snoring echoed in his ear. Gru blinked his eyes in confusion as he slowly sat up and looked down at his new girlfriend, lying on top of him – fast asleep!  
She had her eyes closed and her lips parted, making a few cooing sounds in her still light sleep. She fell asleep, right in the middle of the foreplay…?  
Gru would have laughed if this sight wasn't just too adorable. Just like his daughters, she was slumbering so peacefully and happily next to him, safe and sound in his arms and snoring silently. Gru wouldn't blame her – it seemed like she hadn't had a good sleep for a whole while. And she should get all the rest she needed – even if that means skipping a small make-out session with him.

Therefore he wasn't able to move without waking her up, he lopped his arms around her, carefully, pulling her deeper into an embrace and gently rocking back and forth, lulling her deeper into a slumber. He sat like this for a long while, leaned against the cushions of the couch with the exhausted redhead in his arms. He hadn't had the joy yet to see her sleeping; and boy, what he missed! She looked even more beautiful when she was sleeping. So peacefully and nestled against him, and so natural with her messy wet hair and contend face. He'd never ever forget the sight of her after they had claimed each other; that sweaty, messy, so satisfyingly happy face after her mind was blown. But this one here was heard to beat too.

Gru leaned in to kiss her eyelids tenderly. She may was not the perfect partner and not the most perfect woman, nor was she the perfect human being – but to him, she was all of this. It just would take a while until he'd start knowing and cherishing this. Once he figured it would become too late, he gently slipped from beneath her and settled her down on the couch, with a pillow under her head and the thin duvet over her body. Gru would have stayed longer – but his kids needed him. Lucy stirred a few times, even smiled in her sleep and mumbled a few words which he didn't understand. But it was something with his name, certainly. A smile formed on his face. Fingers threaded through her hair as he watched her for a few more minutes until he was absolutely sure she was fully asleep again.

And then, after he grabbed half of the paperwork-stack that she needed to finish, he walked to the door and closed it, slowly, taking a last glance inside his girlfriend's apartment.

...

"I thought you were out of the whole sneaking-into-houses-business…"

Gru froze in place. The stack of paper under his arm and the key in his other hand, he stood in the hallway, intending to enter quietly and leave the kids asleep. But apparently, the eldest had caught him right in the worst moment.  
"O-Oh, uh, hey Margo…" he quickly hid the stack of paper behind his back. "I-I thought yu guys are already asleep?"  
"Edith and Agnes are…" Margo leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen, holding a mug of hot milk in her hand and wearing a very, very big grin.  
That was unsettling him slightly.  
"…but I came to drink something before going back to bed."  
"Da-da-dat's fine…next time yu shuld radher wait for me to come home furst, a'right?"  
"Well, speaking of that – where have you been anyway?"  
"I-I uh – didn't Agnes tell yu vhere I was?"  
"Not really…"  
"Well, Silas vanted to see me again – and equip me vith dis whole paperwork-stuff."  
"I see…" Margo looked at him while taking a sip. Oddly, she was acting very strange. Wasn't this proof enough for her? She looked almost like she had figured out a very juicy secret about him and was now trying to approach this very slowly, and probably mostly to make him uncomfortable and laugh about Gru furrowed his eyebrows.

"Hey, vhat's dat look, huh?"  
"Oh, nothing. I'm just a bit confused why your face is covered in lipstick." Gru cringed, automatically turning to look into the mirror. "And as I see, the stack says it's supposed to be for Lucy." Margo grabbed the first sheet and looked over it. But Gru snatched it out of her hands.  
"Okay, dat's enough now, smart-ass." Wiping the red spots away from his face, he blew an angry raspberry at her. "If yu're implyin' dat I have been at Lucy's home, dhen yu can be sure dis is not true, for –"

"And why was the tracker on you located at Lucy's place?"  
"Tracker? I dun't know anythin' 'bout a tracker…"

Margo raised her phone. On the screen, a red dot blinked, the name "Gru" written above. It was surrounded by the shade of a house. His house. And then he noticed the same red shining spot blinking on the rhombus-shaped zipper of his jacket.  
"Sweet, huh? Nefario upgraded it for me."  
"He seriously gave yu permission to spy me out?!" Gru hissed.  
"Not spy out – follow. Gru, I know you've been at Lucy's place, just admit it."  
He took a deep breath and exhaled.  
"Fine, fine… Lucy had a leetle issue vith some work. I had to help her calm down."  
"Ah?" Margo cocked her eyebrow.

"N-Not vhat yu think." He swayed his hands in defense. "I jus' provided her somethin' to eat and made her a bath and tucked her in, dat's all!"  
"Yeah, yeah, I got it already." She placed her cup on the counter and returned to him, taking his hand and led him up the steps. They didn't say anything, until they were upstairs, Gru bringing her to bed and smiling at her. She really had the potential to be a sneaky villainess someday – he still had to convince her to stop spying his positions out, but otherwise, he oddly felt a kind of pride to have her do such things.

"I just hope you've used contraceptives anyway." - "Margo!" Gru exclaimed in a hiss. "I told yu we haven't!"  
"But you almost did, didn't you?"  
She chuckled, seeing her father so baffled and helpless, until a grin spread over his face.  
"Leetle vixen."


	7. Breakup

**Date #67**

A relationship didn't always have to be perfect. There were flaws and perfections, and here were hard times and good times. The partner should be loyal, honest – and a person to trust. And even if they have curves and edges and imperfections, you love them more than anything.  
But this definitely was crossing the borders!

Lucy was really in love with Gru. And as a matter of fact, she knew he was too. They were girlfriend and boyfriend after all. And they had started to share each other's intimacies, secrets and habits, and yes, she loved all of them and he loved all of hers.  
Yet, there was a thing that was just simply not okay.  
This morning, Gru had once again placed a box with beautiful earrings on her doorstep and Lucy didn't even bother to read the card. She also didn't bother how they looked. She just looked on the label and the price.  
How odd, people might think. Normally, a woman should be deeply flattered by such a present by their boyfriend, let alone such an expensive gift. But not in Lucy's case. The more expensive it was, the angrier she grew.

"Goddamnit Gru, not again!" she placed the box on the kitchen counter, to the other stuff that was lying in front of her door the other few weeks as well. With a frustrated groan, she grabbed her phone and dialed his number.  
She was angry. Why? Because she knew exactly, that this wasn't a real honest present.  
"Hey, honey, how's it goin'?"  
"Gru, how much did they cost?"  
Silence.  
"Uh…the earrings?"  
"Yes – the earrings!"  
"Du yu like dhem?" – "Gru, I asked you a question!"  
"Lucy, calm down, vhat is yur problem?"  
"My problem? Gru, I just wanna check that these earrings were purchased at that chanel shop in the town with money – and that you didn't steal them."  
Once again, silence on the other side of the speaker.  
"Uh – five hundred…?" It sounded like an almost question.  
"No! No, it's one thousand one hundred sixty four and ninety nine cents!"  
She was fuming right now.  
"Gru, I told you, I told you so often –"  
"Lucy, please chillax! I didn't steal dhem, I promise!"  
"Oh, really? Can you perhaps get the bill and read me what stands there?"  
Gru gulped audibly.  
"Y-yes, uh, sure, one moment."

And then she only heard muffled rattling. It broke her heart to be this angry with him when he only meant good. But she just couldn't accept a gift that was stolen from a big and expensive label! Lucy knew that Gru had stopped being a villain, for the sake of his kids; But apparently, being a thief doesn't count as stopping to be evil.  
And now that he had started to steal jewelry for her, she was becoming more and more suspicious about his other actions. The first time she was aware that all these presents were nothing but a theft was when she saw the prices. At the beginning, she was more than flattered; after all, he had the money to afford this kind of accessoire. But now that the prices became higher and higher and the jewelry prettier and prettier, she started to ask if these were legally purchased or stolen. And as it seems – it was stolen by him.  
They were working on these issues, but nothing seemed to help. Was he a kleptomaniac after all? She doubted it. They had attended a lot of shops and other buildings where the chance of stealing was literally tempting.  
But the jewelry was probably irresistible to him.

"A'right, here we go!"  
Lucy rolled her eyes as Gru came back. Great. Now he was lying at her as well!  
"Uhh…Chanel shop, uh, Johnsonstreet five-o-two, tenth august two-o-one-three. One…loaf of bread…u-uh, no I mean…"  
"Gru! This is not the bill for that jewelry, is it?"  
"…No, it's not…" he finally admitted.  
"Gru, please, I just – I just have two simple requests for you: Stop lying to me – and stop stealing this stuff for me!"  
"B-But I –"  
"No ifs, no buts! I am not going to wear them until I can be sure you have bought them!"  
Gru gulped again.  
"And just so you know – I'm going to return then tomorrow! For if they find out that their missing stuff is here, they'll sue me!"  
Once again, silence sat in.  
"Lucy…I'm sorry."  
"Fine…!" she said and sighed.  
"I promise yu, Lucy – I promise yu dis will be dhe last time, okay? Dhe very last time!"  
Lucy sighed, for she knew it wasn't. One couldn't change a human that fast – but she had hoped that if he could give up his villainous life for his daughters, he also would be able to give his kleptomania a rest.  
"Well, I dearly hope for you this will be the last time, Gru. And to make sure we'll fix this thing, you're going to accompany me tomorrow."  
"Uh – okay! And vhere are we goin?"  
"Tiffanys!"

After just a short amount of time, Lucy realized that it had been a bad idea to take him with her to this shop. It was, truly, the first time she was leading him morally and for the first time, she felt embarrassed over him.  
He kept glancing at these gigantic diamonds and golden necklaces and rings and other stuff, and occasionally, she found him trying to pry open one of the cabinets while nobody was looking. But once Lucy cast that certain glance at him, he quickly stopped his fumbling fingers.  
Of course, Lucy didn't intend to buy anything. How would she? Her budget was just enough to pay her bills and some food. Or go shopping. But they were lucky that many people were here today, just old ladies in expensive fur-coats and businessmen with their wife's. they pretty much fell out of place. Totally.  
With a look back to her partner, she saw there was sorrow in his eyes. His hands on his back and his face lowered to stare at the ground. Maybe this entire thing with walking around shops that only purchased the finest jewelry and accessories and knowing that he couldn't make her happy by giving her any of these – legally or not – was upsetting him. Lucy's shoulders slumped and she offered a small smile. Deep down between anger, embarrassment and frustration, she finally felt the graduate for this nice gesture. She couldn't remember any day she bought him anything.

Tiny fingers grabbed for Gru's hand. And he gave hers a gentle squeeze.  
She was going to catch up with that – but to be a better example, she would buy it instead of stealing it.  
"May I help you?" a young blonde man in a white shirt and black pants and clapped his hands together. A couple, holding hands – they were usually just looking for one thing.  
"You looking for wedding rings?"  
Gru and Lucy froze in their tracks and their mouths dropped open.  
"O-Oh." Lucy was the first to answer. "N-No, no no! Haha, well, uhm…"  
Shyly, she scratched her upper arm.  
"We're just…Just looking around, that's all."  
Almost not daring to look at Gru, she could feel him blush. And she blushed as well.  
Maybe…one day…  
"I see…" The male staff eyed them a bit skeptically.

One of them was tall, way taller than usual people that walked in here. And hairlesser. His broad shoulders and the shaggy, dark eyebrows, creased into a grumpy furrow, gave him the appearance of a…well…a villain. Not to mention his style of clothing. The other was pretty much the difference. A happy smile, alert green eyes, slim body with bright clothes. Well, opposites attract!  
"Then – can I offer you a glance at the necklaces extra made for couples?"  
He stepped aside to reveal a glass case with several small chains and heart-shaped pendant  
Gru gagged internally. So much romance was just too much for him.  
"Oh, uh, that is really nice. But we're not looking for something in particular. At least…not yet."  
"Well…" The man smiled at them. "I'll be right here if you need my help. Just don't get close to the area with the barrier tape. We have been robbed some days ago and still are looking for the missing jewelry."  
Lucy abruptly turned towards Gru and cast the angriest glance at him he had ever seen on her, but he just held his hands up in defense.  
"Not me…" he mouthed with his lips.

"Anyway – if you need some consulting, my dear, just call for Elliot."  
Lucy nodded and thanked him before taking Gru with him with a smile, but he just stuck out his tongue in feigned disgust.  
"Dun't tell me dis milksop was flirtin' vith yu." He growled.  
"No, he was just – nice. Some people here should rather take a leaf out of his book." She cocked her eyebrow.  
"Yah, sure! I definitely will take advice from a guy which name rhymes vith 'idiot'!" Gru shook his head.  
"Hmph. You should rather tell me one thing: If you haven't been robbing this place out, who was it then, huh?" she looked at him skeptically. "I mean…the only thief in town, looking for just certain jewelry – what a coincidence I'd say. Who else would it have been if not you?"  
"How shuld I know? I didn't even know dis place exist in dhe furst place until today!"  
That made her frown. "We should take a look at it anyway – I'm an agent, and you should know what kind of tricks thieves have up their sleeves."  
Once they found said spot, Lucy feigned like nothing was happening, while Gru was inconspicuously examining the spot right behind the barrier. Scratching his chin, he stared from the broken glass of several cabinets, the left marks and the stolen trinket. Judging by the shapes of the boxes which were empty now, he could make outa missing pearl-necklace, several rings and small diamonds, and apparently a watch. Beginner, he thought! The probably weirdest thing that Gru caught with his eyes was, that none of the cases were damaged where the jewelry was inside. Well – an old, easy trick. He had picklocks of course. Now were the questions where he was coming by these false keys, and why there was glass on the floor. A glance over to the window. No damaged panes.  
another glance to the glass-made slide doors.  
Nothing.

His glance was fixed at Lucy, who was – _ugh_ – again standing with Elliot in front of the glass cases, looking through the ugly shaped pendants.  
And _ugh_ – were they laughing? Was he suddenly abnormally close to his Lucy? Internally, he hoped she wasn't actually flattered by this sleazeball! With his stupid white shirt, this terrible striped tie and his short, blonde-bleached, gelled hair!  
**_Blegh!_**  
Wait – what was he doing there? Was he touching her?! There, on her shoulder? Suddenly his hand moved. He didn't dare, would he – _Oh hell no_, he was touching her neck!  
He was about to turn around, dash to them and freeze this little punk down to his ankles! How dare he! And how dare Lucy? She wasn't protesting the slightest as this guy was motioning her to turn around so he could put his greasy, stubby and icy fingers on her and touch her bare shoulders!  
But then he stopped.  
She suddenly was wearing a very beautiful necklace around her neck. It was in silver, not very big – but it was fitting her perfectly. The pendant was a round and beautiful …crescent moon!  
A smile tugged at his lips. Her eyes were glistening and glinting whenever she looking down at this little roundly shaped thing on the base of her neck. He wondered, if he would get this one for her, she would perhaps wear it?  
Apparently, she did really like it. But she told him before; this stuff was just too expensive for her…  
For her, yes, but…

And then – _ugh!_ Elliot was fumbling around her nape again – and _uuugh_, he was smiling at her with these perfectly whitened teeth and his perfectly studied smile, and it made him wanna throw up instantly. He turned around with a huff and rather concentrated on staring at the broken shades of glass. Aha! Now he knew this guy's strategy…not such a dumb guy how he had imagined  
"So, what do we have?" asked a voice behind him in a low volume  
"Usual thief. Nothin' villain-like, probably jus' needed dhe money." He said.  
"Stole a necklace, about five hundred dollar dhe prize. Some rings and mostly leetle things, like small diamonds – sapphire and rubys, if not even amethysts. And a vatch."  
Lucy looked over at him with a furrow of her eyebrows. "And what about the closed cabinets? They don't even look damaged at all."  
"Picklocks…Apparently someone must have had access to dhe mainkeys and made fake ones…so…"  
He turned around, leaving the place behind.  
"Someone from dhe staff must have been stealin' dhese trinkets."  
"And the broken glass there on the floor?"  
"Dis? Huh. Fake-glass! It wuld be obvious dat somethin' was stolen once dhe thief set on dhe alarm." He pointed up to a little device that was blinking in red. "But to confuse dhe police once dhey wuld come in here, he places cracks on dhe floor – and dhe police will look for dhe broken windowpane vhere dhe thief escaped. And vhile dhey uselessly look around, dhey had much time to find a way outside through dhe funnels."  
Once again, Lucy was marveled by how great he seemed to know how thieves were doing their stuff.  
"Alright – this is great information. And what next?"  
"Next? Vhatcha mean vith 'next'?"  
"Next in terms of who is the one?"  
"Dun't know – dun't care…" she said and passed her, leaving Lucy back.

"What?"  
"No vhat! Dis is not worth dhe hassle, jus' some guy who jus' steals some ugly blings."  
"Gru – this is some information we need to give to the AVL, that is our job."  
"For dis lame theft?" he pulled up the corner of his mouth with a disdainful look at the set of crime.  
"We are agents – we have to report any kind of crime!"  
"Oh yeah? Well…" he put his hands in front of his chest. "Even dis pathetic piece of 'I-tried-hard'-crime? If yu wanna see some real crime, vatch dis."  
And suddenly, Gru brought his hand from behind his back into her sight, in his hand a large diamond which was originally lying in the glass case right behind to him. Did he just- Steal that thing from there? Without anybody noticing?!

Lucy's eyes widened.  
"G-Gru!" she hissed. "Gru, put that back, right now!"  
"Nuh-uh!" he shook his head, turning the diamond around, showing her all sides and angles – and so obvious, that just one of the staff member had to look at them and banish them from the store.  
"Gru, I'm serious, put that back from where you have it!"  
"Oh, so yu dun't like diamonds?" he put his hand on his back, only to pull up his other hand, with a golden pocketwatch.

"Dhen how about dhese leetle lads, huh? Pure gold, vith diamond-made clock faces."  
"Gru, stop it!" she latched her hand out to grab the item, but Gru held it up high where she didn't reach it.  
"Oh, but Vhy, Lucy? Didn't yu vant to see some real burglary here?"  
Why was he acting like this?! She never had seen him go like this before.  
"Gru, you put tis stuff down at once or I'll go and report yu!"  
"Ohhh I'm soo scared!" he feigned to whine. "How about yu go to yur beloved Elliot and tell him vhat a despicable person I am."  
So that was it? He was…jealous?!  
"What the hell are you even talking about, you…you goddamn stupid pig-head?!"  
"Hey!" Suddenly a loud voice echoed through the store. "This is the clock that –" one of the staff member was approaching and saw Gru holding the golden pocketwatch.  
"…uh-oh…" Gru mumbled. And Lucy cursed silently.

...

"This is by far the straw to break the camel's back!"  
Lucy was fuming. She was, in fact, so angry that even Gru was slightly scared by her rage as she was running around his lab, with two of his minions standing right behind him and hiding from the redhead in fear she could hurt one of them. They heard about Dave and her – she was not afraid of knocking them over instantly!  
"You have no idea how goddamn hard it was to convince the police to let you go again! I had to lie and tell them we were investigating there!  
And, yes, had to tell them you're from the AVL and yes, I have told Silas about this!"  
Gru frowned.  
"You had a very good reputation at that league to this present day, but from now on, you can count on people there still thinking you're nothing different from what you have been just some years ago! Especially Silas!"  
"Lucy…" he tried to defend himself.  
"Let me finish! Gru – this is not okay anymore! I am fed up with your stupid stealing habit and thinking you come around this everytime! Do you have any idea how often I pulled your head out of the noose now?! No?! Okay, let me count down: Last week; You were about to steal the silver from that restaurant we were eating! Just so you know, that date was so over for me there! This weekend; You tried to steal a woman's purse because you hadn't had enough money for the gas! And then ever since I told you I just can't afford this expensive jewelry stuff, you throw this…this trinket at my doorstep and even believe I am too stupid to not notice that you stole it?! **_Let me finish_**!"  
Gru didn't even attempt to raise his voice in the first place…

She calmed down a bit with a sigh.  
"Gru, why, why are you doing this?"  
"Lucy, I am merely nice to yu! And I told yu dat dhere are certain things I can't and wun't change about me!"  
"But I cannot accept this, Gru! I can't! You're an agent at the AVL, Gru, you're not supposed to do this!"  
"I du vhat I vant! And yu, yu shuld radher start bein' thankful for vhat I am doin' dhere!"  
"Thankful?!" Lucy snorted. What was he even thinking?  
"I should be thankful for you bringing me into lawful danger?! I should be thankful for you falling back into your stupid villain patterns?!"  
He backed away from her lightly, with his eyebrows crunched in a strange face, mixed with shock and anger.  
But Lucy continued taking a step towards him, her eyes glaring at him. But behind the frustration, he saw actual sadness.  
"And now; Give me one legitimate reason to be proud of you! To be grateful! To tell you to go on with this crap just so I can run after you and help you once again when you're about to get punished for what you do!"  
Lucy's shoulders slumped down.  
"I am not only angry – I am just…I am worried, alright?! I am worried about you – your kids! What If someday you go on to fall back into your past self?"  
"It wun't happen…" he growled.  
"Yes, yes it will! Look at you – you're stealing! You're even inventing new weapons that could make it easier for you to go on heists!" she pointed at Nefario, who wasn't really listening to his and hers conversation, for he was trying to fix some gears on the new gadget which Gru ordered.  
"Hey!" he suddenly pushed her hand away from pointing at his working place. "Dis is none of yur business, yu get me? Vhat I du here is none of yur business! Vhat I build is none of yur business! And especially I am none of yur business!"  
Lucy's jaw dropped. And yet Gru still didn't see what he just had implied with that. Lucy gulped hard. What did that mean…? Did that mean exactly what she was assuming it meant?  
"Gru…you _are_ my business, you're my boyfriend! And I am concerned about you!"  
"No, yu're not! And even if yu were…" he passed her roughly, almost knocking her over. "…I dun't vant yur empathy."

"_Empathy?!_ Seriously, Gru, what in heaven's name are you talking about?! I am not giving you empathy, I am telling you to start being a mature grown up! And act like one!"  
He turned around to look over his shoulder.  
"Oh yah, sure – like dis Elliot guy, right? He must be such a mature person dhen!"  
"What the – _Elliot?!_" she stammered. "The staff from the jewelry?!" Why was he talking about him now?  
"Oh yes, vith his fancy white and plain shirt and his stupid studied grin and his greasy hair all combed to dhe back of his tiny head! If dis isn't mature, I dun't know vhat else he shuld be."

Ah, she understood. Gru was jealous! It would be cute if they weren't right in the middle of a heated situation.  
"Gru, this is ridiculous and I have no idea what you're talking about."  
"Yu dun't? Well, lemme elucidate for ya!"  
And then he suddenly threw a ring with keys into her direction. She nearly caught it – and instantly saw with bare eyes that all of them were fake-keys. And one of them looked just like the key Elliot had used to open the glass cabinets!  
"Found dis in his pockets! If yu're still interested to know who stole all dis bling-bling, now yu know."  
Lucy looked between the keys and Gru and then have a frustrated groan.  
"Gru, _goddamnit!_ This is not about this Elliot guy! This is about you, the person I love! Do you even have an idea how terrible I feel whenever you're sealing stuff for me? You're not even bothering to spend money for me on such things – and then you put both of us in serious trouble today! I sometimes think –" she felt like she was going to choke on her words. "I sometimes think you don't even love me…You don't even love me and just…I don't know anymore – you're just becoming more and more of what you have been!"  
A harsh pain went through his heart at her words. He didn't love her? Of course he did! He loved her more than anything in this very word, and nothing could change that!

But then she suddenly turned around again with tears in her eyes, and she furiously yelled:  
"Am I not a reason enough for you to be a normal ma?! A normal father and boyfriend? Am I and your daughters not enough for you to at least try?!"  
The following silence between the both of them hung in the air. Except him staring at her in a baffled and shocked state and the sounds of minions working quickly and diligently, there was nothing that seemed to be alive around them anymore. Inside him had died something. A little something he didn't know what it was but yet as he tried to progress her words and the upcoming pain, the more this something was becoming emptier and emptier.  
And eventually, he crossed his hands behind his back, eyebrows knitting together in his stern glance, nose up high and eyes disdainfully looking beneath half closed lids back at her.  
"So…dat is vhat yu think? Yu think I dun't love yu? Yu think I haven't given up anythin' for yu, or dhe gurls, or my family?!" with each word his voice rose until he was literally growling.  
"I love yu, okay?! I du! I nearly gave up my life for yu! I saved yu from dis El Macho guy! I cared about yu, I protected yu, I was dhere for yu vhen nobody gave a damn about yu! And now yu tell me I am not lovin' yu?!"  
Lucy stared back at him. Tears involuntarily streamed down her cheeks, blown away by how closer and closer the realization came that this here was not just a normal fight. She saw the hurt in his eyes. She saw the frustration and the desperation; he fought and suppressed the same notion she had. She gulped down to sooth her dry throat.  
His hand zinged in the inner side of his pockets, and he pulled out something. And Lucy gasped. It was…it was the necklace she had found back in that store. The one with the crescent moon pendant!  
Where did he…?

"I know yu liked it. I know yu vanted it but culdn't afford it. Yu still think dis is not a proof of love?!"  
"You…You can't be serious!" she cried out, snatching the necklace out of his grip and threw it to the side.  
"Even now, after vhat happened, yu have the guts to just…just…you disgust me, Gru!" her hands suddenly roughly thrust against his chest and pressed him away from her. Her voice broke out in a silent sobbing.  
"I don't want your jewelry! I don't want your empty promises! I want you! I want your honest, genuine love – but all you give me is some stolen shit and the notion that you haven't changed at all…" she turned around, away from him, her hands brushing over her face to wipe away the tears.  
This was it…  
She had enough of this…  
She loved him, she really did – but she couldn't live with a man like him.  
She started walking. She started walking back towards the elevator.  
"Vhere are yu goin'…?" he asked, his voice softer, and almost alarmed…

"I'm moving on now…maybe you should do the same, Gru."  
"Lucy…" he wanted to run after her, but his legs seem to betray him. It was like a nightmare – his beloved one was walking away, away from him, further and further and he couldn't reach her. He couldn't move and he couldn't speak, but silently suffer and watch as she was vanishing from his sight.  
"I can't do this anymore, Gru. I'm sorry…Take care..."  
And with that, the elevator rocketed into the air and upwards trough the large and maze-like bridges where thousands of minions walked over every minute and he was left, watching as she goes away.

_I'll give you all I've got to give_  
_If you say you love me too_  
_I may not have a lot to give_  
_But what I got I'll give to you_

_I don't care too much for money_  
_For money can't buy me love_


	8. Superhero

**Date #68**

_**5 missed calls.**_

Lucy sighed.**  
**Poking rapidly on the screen of her phone, she checked who it possibly could be – although she was quietly aware who it was!  
The name 'Gru' was popping up under each of the five.  
He really did try to get her to talk to him, didn't he? With an irritated groan, she threw her phone on the table and rather cared to get her dinner ready, before it would burn.

Ironically, she had a ravenous appetite for spaghetti, exactly those which Gru did for her some weeks ago. Stupid spaghetti – best tasting spaghetti she ever ate!  
It was almost frustrating to keep reminding herself of this 'douche' of a man, but ugh – they just tasted so good!  
After the breakup, the sorrow came – and after the sorrow, the anger followed.  
She was angry. Day and Night. Every time she looked on her phone she was angry. Every time she was lying in her bed and got a swift of Gru's scent on the sheets, she was angry. She had washed them several times now, but yet she could still smell him all over her pillows and her duvets. She was angry when she showered and remembered the time he had made her this bubble-bath for her. Ugh, stupid bubblebath – best bubblebath ever!  
She was angry whenever she stood in the kitchen right now, angry over eating stupid spaghetti again like this stupid thief made them and count down all the stuff she hated right now!  
With a sigh, she stirred the tomato sauce and checked the noodles.  
Why even being upset over him anymore? It was over! He was the reason she now has to live alone again, having him calling him thrice a day to apologize, but no – she wouldn't let herself surrender to her soft side. This wasn't going to be any good! He had behaved like a little baby – and also, he was terribly rude to her as well!  
She was having quite a think for the bad-boys, but this was certainly too much. After all the years, months and weeks, after all the time he had spent being a father and partner with her, he never did something like this, something such…despicable!  
Maybe silas was right, after all? Maybe Gru indeed was just a ticking time-bomb that sooner or later would fall back into the actions of his past, old patterns of stealing, harming and using people and trying to suppress the world…?  
She had doubted it – she had seen him. Around his kids, and around her – he was not a dangerous man. And he wasn't what he was once, anymore.  
But if that was just a trap after all and she indeed was just like a toy to him which he could use for his own purposes and then thinks he could buy her love with money by stealing stuff for her – it was ambivalent. But what else should she have done? If he seemed not interested in her enough to give her 'honest' presents, or if all her working on fixing this issue with him hadn't had any effects on him at all because he simply didn't want to give it up…  
A sudden smell filled the room. It smelled like burned noodles. And then just a small glance down at the pot with the spaghetti and the rather dark-grey smoke streaming into the air, she realized she was lost in thoughts once again.  
"Oh, curses!" she gasps and pushes the pots off the stove.  
Goddammit, Lucy! Focus!

But no matter what, no matter how terrible the way too soft and partly burned noodles tasted, no matter how long and intensively she was staring into the tv to try and clear her mind – it was becoming really heard for her to let her mind wander somewhere else.  
Inside, she was thinking that it perhaps had been a mistake to break up. She still loved him – she couldn't deny it. She still was grieving that this relationship was already over and that Gru was such a fool to push thing over the edge that she was forced to leave.  
The fork was about to enter her mouth again, but she slowly dropped it again. Suddenly, her appetite was just gone.  
Thoughts flooded her mind instead – what should she do? Should she accept his apologies? Should she hope he had changed at least by now? Should she…get together with him again?  
Well, she certainly wasn't aware of what Gru felt after both broke up some weeks ago. But…  
She reached for her phone – somewhat mechanically. There had been some mail he had sent her some days ago that she couldn't dare to delete from her mailbox.  
Once she opened said message, she read it again. And again and again.

_**Dear Lucy**_  
_**I know you probably will delete this message right away again, and you won't bother to read it. But I'm giving it a try.**_  
_**I have nothing to say much, but tell you that I am truly sorry for what I have done. You must be right when I say I haven't changed – that is why I probably don't deserve you. I know I'm an idiot – and I know that because of this tiny thing I have messed up an entire relationship; the best relationship I have ever had. But a person as great and wonderful is not supposed to even talk to such one as me. I hope I can change anything – and if there is any way, please tell me.**_  
_**Otherwise I hope you'll be happy in future, with a better man, someone who treats you like a queen and loves you eternally. Someone, who hold you and never lets you go and tells you every time how beautiful and great you are, who loves you every day and tells you every day how much you mean to them. Someone you can love because he is honest to you and who offers you safety and understanding, someone who cares for you when you're at your downs and someone you can care for just the same. I wish nothing but the best for you.**_

_**Gru'**_

Lucy gulped. The first time she read it, she didn't understand it. The other time she read it, she didn't want to understand it. But now, she struggled with suppressing her realization.  
He always treated her like a queen.  
He always was there when she was at her downs and ups. He always held her and loved her and cared for her and gave himself up for her piece by piece…he really loved her more than anything.  
But why then?  
Why didn't he understand?  
Her heart grew heavy and suddenly, tears dropped out of her eyes. He had his flaws and so had she – but he never cared for her snoring at night or her much too big feet. He didn't care if he was becoming bitchy when she was under pressure or stress or when she was under the influence of her female body functions causing her pain.  
He loved her big nose and her small breasts, her freckles and her lanky, way too thin body. He loved everything about her and her flaws and curves and edges, and perfections and imperfections – and he despised each of his own.  
Suddenly, the phone in her hand started vibrating hardly while ringing in a shrill tone.  
Lucy almost dropped it into her dinner, so surprised was she by the sudden noise.  
She quickly put her plate down onto the table and looked onto the screen. It was Gru – who else?  
Quickly, two questions formed inside her head: Should she answer at all? Should she commit herself to talking to him again, and listen to his never ending apologies until her heart would soften up once again? She didn't trust him – she still didn't. What if he just was going to hurt her again – and this time, he would hurt her really, really bad? And the second one was – how would she answer? Happy? Sad? Definitely not sad! And happy neither! He shouldn't even dare to think she'd be happy to hear his voice again – or sound sad because she regrets her choice!  
So, she gulped down the upcoming sorrow inside her and pressed "accepting call"

"What do you want?"  
"Lucy…?"  
Lucy stirred. That wasn't Gru – was it?  
"Gru?"  
"Gru…? No, it's Agnes!"  
"Agnes, what is – why are you calling?"  
"You have to come here, quickly! Something's wrong with Gru!"  
Worry forced Lucy to stand up instantly and look for her keys and jacket.  
"W-what do you mean? Is he sick?"  
"I don't know, he just came back home and started to speak weird stuff and started to walk around the house like the ground was shaking, You know, he…uh…staggering."  
"Staggering?"  
"Yeah, and then he started flinging his jacket and other clothes around the house and then he fell asleep on the couch. At least we think he's sleeping, he's breathing, but he's not really waking up."  
Enough for Lucy to clip her phone between shoulder and her ear and get ready for driving over to Gru's house. She could imagine what was wrong with him, alright! But this wasn't about him! She was more worried right now over the kids.

"And he's wounded. Margo said he probably was hit by a car."  
"What?!" Lucy shouted in shock – probably a bit too loud and startled.  
"I-Is he alright?" – "I think so…I thought it's not possible to survive such things. What if Gru is dying, Lucy?! Wha-wha-what should we do?!"  
"Honey – Honey, calm down – no, he's not dying, don't worry!"  
But that didn't really settle the helpless little girl down.  
"A-Agnes, calm down, I'm at yours in ten minutes!"

...

When Lucy exited her car and walked quickly towards the gigantic, gloomy mansion and knocked on the door, she was instantly greeted by a little child suddenly hugging her, tears streaming down her face and sobbing with a shaking voice.  
"Agnes…!" Lucy picked her up and pressed the little girl close to her chest. It was weird to admit but her deep down hidden mother-instincts kicked in by the little girls weeping.  
Margo and Edith followed down the hall, not as startled as their little sister, but nevertheless, they were worried as well.  
"Margo, what is happening here…?"  
"Gru came home – drunk."  
"Drunk…? But – he never drinks!"  
Lucy closed the door behind her, still trying to calm the little girl in her arms by patting her back.  
"He just said that he had tried to call you and afterwards, he was gone, and just meant he would get home later – and well…I think the rest told you Agnes already."  
The redhead nodded. Oh heck, Gru! What the hell was he thinking, leaving his children alone at home and going out to get cockeyed?

"Are you guys fine? Did he hurt you?"  
"No, nono, he didn't."  
"Well, he nearly threw the swords on the shelf over and on me, but – I'm still in one piece, ain't I?" Edith said proudly, but Lucy knelt down to check on her. She was fine, indeed. A sigh of relief emerged from her chest.  
"Is he hurt very hard?"  
"We…we don't know. He doesn't seem to complain much, but – he has some cuts and bruises on his shoulders and his face and arms."  
That was strange as well – Gru may be drunk, but he wouldn't get into fights, right? And getting hit by a car? It seemed like a possible explanation – although she couldn't remember that she had seen anybody driving outside.  
Suddenly, Agnes started tugging on Lucy's coat.  
"Is he going to be fine, Lucy?"  
She asked, her eyes big with concern. But Lucy smiled down at her. "Of course he will! I'm here now to patch him up!" The youngest was lowered back onto the ground. "Alright kids, you go into the kitchen, I'll try to wake up your father. Where is he?"  
"Living room—"answered Margo before the three quickly vanished in the said room while Lucy paced through the hallway.

They weren't lying when they told her he was making a mess. The toys standing in the hallway were thrown all over the floor, the shelf was offset the wall where it usually stood, some of the stuffed animal-heads and photos were lying on the ground, yet none was shattered, luckily – and was that his sweater lying on the ground?! Oh, goddamnit, Gru! If he thought that would be appealing to her, he definitely was wrong!  
Looking through the door into the living room, she figured the great room wasn't spared from the mess as well! Stuffed animals and toys and clothes were spread onto the floor, CD and DVD's lying next to the couch – and there was Gru. His arm wrapped over his eyes, his body lying on the couch in nothing but his socks, an old, sweaty, white shirt and underwear and in his free hand he was barely holding an empty bottle of whisky.  
Lucy would never admit it but – she was surprised that this was the first day she ever saw Gru, drunk, passed out on his sofa in nothing but his undergarment and mumbling weird Russian words in his half-sleep. Walking closer, she could see all the bruises and cuts and scars the girls mentioned. It really looked worse than she had expected. He was literally covered in dirt, red lines went down his arms and his chest, small blood stains were visible through the white garment he still wore. She couldn't see his face – yet she saw the bluish tarnished circle around one of his eyes. That was quite a big shiner!  
The resentment she felt was melted into a hint of anxiety. What just happened with him?

"Gru…?"  
He stopped mumbled for a second.  
"Gru! Gru, wake up…"  
He stirred. "Gru, it's me, Lucy."  
He opened one eye slowly, painfully slowly, and he removed his arms from his face. Oh dear, not only had he a shiner – he had a laceration above his eyebrow, on the other side of his face.  
Then, his other eye opened. And both wearily shifted over to the face on the other side of the couch. His eyes were dilated, empty – not the excited glint she knew from when they were making out. This one was literally drenched in sorrow, the feeling of being lost – she could see it in his eyes. She knew that glance – she herself had seen it on her own face a lot.  
"Gru…what happened? Why are you so…beaten up?"  
He seemed to think. His mind was working, but apparently, it was hard for him to set a full sentence in his intoxicated state.  
"T-The girls told me you were struck by a car, i-is that—"  
"Vhat are yu doin' here?" he slurred. "I dun' even need yur help…Ugh, Margo, vhy did yu bring her here, huh?" he started shouting, but Lucy walked back into his sight, with her arms firmy grabbing her waist.  
"Oh hell sure you need me! Look at you – you're a mess."  
"Look who's talkin'!" Gru retorted with a smug grin on his lips and a dirty chuckle echoed between his bared teeth. He raised the whiskybottle to his mouth but had to figure it was empty already…  
"Uuugh…" he moaned in frustration while throwing the bottle over his head, not even caring where it could crush. Luckily, it just hit the wall, but the stuffed viper he had next to his TV almost tumbled.

"Gru!"  
"Shaddap!" he growled back, raising his body weakly off the sofa to glare at her.  
"What the – no! I certainly won't shut up! What in heaven's name has gotten into you, coming home, totally drunken with blood and bruises all over your body?! You scared your children to death!"  
"Iduncare…"  
"Yes, you should, Gru!"  
Lucy came even closer to him. Oh she would just love to give him a slap right now – but he was already battered anyway.  
"What happened to you? Have you been in a fight? Hit by a car? Or did dogs attack you?"  
Gru didn't answer, he rather turns around with his arms crossed on his chest and his glance away from her face, a pout formed with his lips. "I wun' tell yu!"  
"Fine – the how about you go and explain it to your kids instead?!" she pointed at the door, where Margo, Edith and Agnes stood, worried over what was wrong with their father. Gru looked at the door to see his three kids.  
But then his eyes widened – baffled, he looked between the girls, and Lucy and back at the girls.  
"S-since vhen do I have six kids?!" he suddenly blurted.  
"Six?" Agnes looked around, yet instead of her father, she wasn't seeing double.  
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Girls – can you perhaps fetch us a cup of coffee? I think that will help your father to sober up a bit before we can talk to him."

A word and a blow – Gru was holding the mug and nipped on the black liquid, drinking slowly on Lucy's command. He didn't seem to care she was examining him in the meantime, running her hand over his arms and his shoulders to see if anything was broken; he didn't even flinch as she raised his shirt carefully to reveal his back and see if there was anything that should worry her.  
She just received a grim glance from him with narrowed eyes as she was looking back at his face.  
"Thought yu're not interested in_ 'dis'_ anymore." He pointed at his chest.  
"I certainly am not anymore." Agreed Lucy with a cocked eyebrow. "But therefore your entire back is covered in bruises, I should go ahead and worry for your welfare at least a bit – seems like I and the girls are still the only people doing so."  
A pause set in, but then Gru abruptly turned around to her, his finger stretched out to almost touch her nose.  
"N-no-now yu listen here, Mary Poppins – I ain't need yu to t-tell me vha' I du wrong all dhe time!" he hissed, and apparently, he squinted beneath his half-lidded eyes.  
"A-Also, I am not goin' to t-talk to people who jus' – jus'-" he hiccuped "Jus' continue vith dheir life happily, vhile mine sucks! O-or who never ever ever ever ever ever ever…" he hiccuped again. "—answer on all dhe stupid messages or call I make and cared for dhem a-and made dinner for dhem and nail dhem –"

**_"Gru!"_** she shouted angrily.  
"Vha'? It's jus' true!"  
"Gru, you were stealing! I couldn't trust a person who takes the goods and chattels of other people to give them to a person they like!"  
"And _disss_…" he slurred the_ 's'_ like a snake. " … is vhy yu women are soooo complicated!"  
"Ugh…" Lucy just shook her head. "It's not about being complicated – Gru, if the AVL would have found out about you stealing and about me accepting stealth and even letting this go through, we both would have lost our jobs!"  
He just stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes.  
"Oh ya - well, yu trusted Elliot, didn't yu? And I bet yu didn't report him eidher...!"  
Lucy silenced. Oh god, why was he starting with this Elliot guy again! There wasn't even something going between her and him - and yet Gru was overly jealous about this! Why should that be his concern anyway? They weren't a couple anymore - she could date now anybody she wanted!

"Okay, you know what? You'll go ahead and drink your stupid coffee and if you think your immature self has stopped making you act like a little child – I'll be in the bathroom!" she sat up, angrily. "And you'll come upstairs once you have apologized by your girls!"  
She ran off, out of the living room and stomped furiously upstairs to get the bath ready for him. She didn't want to – but she needed to patch him up again. It was her job after all, taking care of people that had been harmed by the act of a crime. Well, she still didn't know what exactly has happened to him…but she surely would get information once he had sobered up again. She locked the door behind her and pulled off her shoes and he jacket, starting to let warm water inside the tub. Maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to let him get into the water at once, the bruises and cuts he had were pretty painful, just by having them in the first place.  
So, she looked for a cloth she could use instead…  
While trying to get just any kind of fabric or sponge right now, she opened several cupboards and found some antiseptics and bandages, and painkiller, if it should get worse…now, anything for the black eye…?

Gosh, he was just unbearable when he was drunk! She certainly didn't come here to listen to his allegations! Lucy came here to help him and don't scare his children. But apparently, she couldn't even bet that he was a mature person right now – whenever she thought he was not going to overreact, he made the worst of mistakes.  
Finally, she found a little towel with a Hello Kitty on it – probably was one of the girls cloth they use to brush their faces with. The sincerely had to excuse her for abusing their stuff for her own good, but there simply was nothing else she could use.

About half an hour later, the doorknob twisted, but due to it being locked, a knock followed and Lucy opened the door.  
Gru stood in front of her and once again she realized that she was way smaller than him without her high heels on. He looked down, not at her, but on the ground, small drops of fresh blood running down his face from the laceration on his right side of his face, dropping down on the dirty and bloody tanktop. He didn't dare to speak. Neither did Lucy. She just pulled him inside the bathroom and closed the door behind them, before returning to him.  
He still stared at the ground, or occasionally, he turned his head to the sides to see what Lucy was even doing here in his bathroom. He saw open cupboards, medics and bandages. As he detected the water in the bathtub and the cloth, he had an idea what she was up to.  
Fingers suddenly crept beneath his shirt, and for a minute, Gru gasped silently. Lucy tugged on the tanktop he wore and with some help of him, she brushed it over his shoulders.  
The smell of coffee that hung on his skin told her that he had drunk up his cup and hopefully sobered up a little bit.  
Seeing his back brought back memories. Just good memories she needed to forget and concentrate of getting rid of the dirt and the blood. But the way these images in her head popped up again…  
Not softening up, Wilde, she told herself. Totally not now!  
She indicated him to sit down on the edge of the tub. He nodded and did as she requested, and she joined him. For a moment or two, none of them spoke or did anything. Lucy just looked over his chest and then at his face, saw the shiner, the laceration, the scratches and scars – and she felt sad.  
Sad for him.

Once noticing she was staring at him again for way too long, she shook her head quickly, grabbing the cloth and dipping it into the tub to fill it with water, before moving closer to him. Carefully, she pressed the warm cloth against a particularly big cut on his chest. Gru hissed in pain. But she managed to still him with her hand resting on his shoulder, before she continued to clean the wounds on his chest and his shoulders and his arms. She noticed him flinching occasionally from the pain, but otherwise, he was quiet. So was she. There was nothing to talk about and nothing she wanted to discuss.  
And by the looks, she wasn't quite sure if he was sober enough to have a normal conversation with this man right now. All she cared about was getting him clean before he would get to clean his place and make sure he has some rest before sunrise.  
Lucy dipped the red stained cloth into the water again and made a sign for him to turn around. And so he did. Lucy remembered that she loved to see Gru's back, how his muscles worked beneath that soft layer of skin of his and -  
_No!_ Stop thinking about this!  
She shook her head once again and started cleaning his spine, her hand running over each of the small hills his vertebrae formed.

"You know…" she suddenly started talking. "I have been reading your messages."  
Gru said nothing.  
"And…I meant to…thank you."  
Lucy stopped moving the cloth over him for a minute. "I wanted to thank you for…several things."  
Still, Gru remained silent.  
"That you…treated me like a queen. And…that you loved me eternally. That you held me and never let me go…and that you told me how beautiful I am and how much I mean to you, all the time…"  
She had expected him to give a sign that he was at least listening – but nothing. He said nothing.  
He did nothing.  
"And I wanted to thank you for making me love you, because you were honest. Because you offered safety and understanding. And for caring me for when I'm down."  
A pause set in once again with Lucy continuing to wash his back.  
"But…I am not sure if that is just my imagination, or real. I don't know if I should trust you. I don't know if I should love you…"

Suddenly, Lucy cringed as Gru moved away from his spot and got up, moving to the door to open it and walk outside, leaving Lucy alone in the room.  
Did she say something wrong…?  
She definitely has. What she told him was probably enough to break his spirit she apologize? Should she run after him?  
For a few moments, she just sat there, frozen, not entirely sure what she should do but feeling like she must be the most cruel woman on the entire planet.  
She never gave him anything while he offered her the world.  
And all she did was breaking up with him – and all she did was telling him how bad he was.  
Before she could actually walk outside this room and this house for the very last time with a broken heart and a worry-filled mind, Gru came back. She was expecting him to flip out completely. He would snap and tell her exactly all the thing she just thought of herself. But…no. He didn't. He came back to her, he sat down in front of her – his fist around something in his hand that needed to stay hidden. Throughout the whole time when he was not daring to look at her, he was now glancing into her eyes, deeply.  
She stared back, insecure and scared what would happen next. But then her glance fell down onto his hand clenched around something apparently very small – and as he opened his palm, Lucy gasped.

It was…the necklace. The necklace he had shown her when they had that argue – with the crescent moon pendant. A bit confused, she looked back at Gru.  
"Gru…I thought I told you, I—" - "Turn it around." He interrupted her.  
Lucy blinked. Turn it around? Her glance lowered back down on the pendant in his hand, before she insecurely grabbed it and turned it around.  
There was something inscribed inside the silver. It was a tiny font, almost not noticeable, but Lucy could read it clearly: It was her name.  
And beneath her name stood: '_I love you to the moon and back'_  
"G-Gru…ho-how did you -?" she reached for the necklace to hold it up.  
"I told yu, I bought it. Nothin' about dis is stolen – not dhe necklace, not dhe pendant or dhe words."  
She looked back at him with big eyes.  
"Well…uh…" he started blushing by Lucy's off-guard, astounded face.  
"Let's say a certain somebody from dis shop owed me somethin'…dat's how blackmail wo—"

His words were cut off by Lucy suddenly flinging her arms around him, her lips on his, and her body flush against his chest. He gasped, startled, shivering from the sudden close proximity of the woman that had been his ex for almost a month.  
She kissed him with such fervor, it was hard for him to resist. Closing his eyes, he kissed her back, hands cradling her head to keep her close to his lips. Both sighed happily, giving a few blissful muffled sounds and moans before they drew back.  
"V-Vhat vas dat for, huh…?" he asked.  
"You…you bvought this for me?" she asked like she couldn't believe it. "Gru – this is the first real present you have made me! I…I love it so much, oh Gru…" she hugged him, and Gru hugged her back. While having access to her neck, he quietly places the necklace around her and closed the closure.  
Lucy drew back – and noticed the necklace hovering over her décolleté. It looked just as beautiful as the day she wore it the first time on her. Looking down from the pendant back to her, he gently placed his fingers beneath her chin, lifting it up to meet her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy…"  
"I know…" she smiled at him.  
"I'm an idiot and – I shuld have jus' listen to yu, I-I vasn't aware dis culd cost our relationship –"  
"Yes, you are an idiot…" she chuckled, moving up close to him again to wrap her thin arms around his big torso.  
"But you're my idiot."  
She would use this term so much more often in future…but now, she was just happy. And she felt bad herself, but – mostly happy.  
"Gru…I'm just so proud of you. A-And…and I'm so happy that you learned from your mistakes!" She looked up at him again. "Will you promise me to never, ever steal again? Please…?"  
Gru glanced back at her with fingers playing with her soft, red, locks.  
"I promise…"  
"Heh…pinky promise?" Lucy extended her small finger towards him, and he hooked his own with hers with a smile.  
"Yes, my pinky promises…"  
That was enough for Lucy to grab his jaw gently and kiss him again, and he kissed back. It was something both have missed. Being close to each other. They had never felt emptier than these last few weeks apart from each other's presence and they savored it with every more kiss growing deeper and passionately.  
"Oh Gru…" she whispered between their lips, his own wandering off to continue on her neck. "I love you."  
"I love you too, Lucy…I love you so much…"  
"Oh Gru, I-I love you so much too, I just – I couldn't think of anybody else."  
"Me neidher…"  
"Oh, Gruu…" Lucy moaned in bliss when he placed his hand beneath her dress on the two full bums of hers, drawing her into him and her legs flung around his waist, hips crushing bluntly against each other. Mhh, she was missing that too.

Hands roaming over his chest and body, he cringed whenever she touched a spot that was particularly hurtful.  
"S-sorry…" she mumbled and drew away, but he just grinned and kissed her once more.  
"I'm assumin' sex wuld be appropriate _now?_" he asked her with a smirk on his face and Lucy chuckled. "Well, I still owe you a round…" Lucy mumbled as her hands reached for her dress to pull it off her body.  
And soon, bodies were pressed against each other and kisses were shared. Between the frantic-becoming groping and make-out session and fumbling with each other's close, both didn't notice how they seemed to lose their balance. Yet they continued – to the point where Gru lost his balance completely and accidentally, he drew Lucy with him as they gave a yelp and splashed into the water with a loud thud.  
"Oh gosh…!" Lucy gasped once her head was over the water again. Her clothes were drenched by now, her hair messy. Gru jumped out of the water as well, his rest-clothes soaking wet and his cuts and scars burning like hell in the water.  
"Agh, curses!" he quickly held his body over the surface, while trying to get out of the tub - making a flip in that progress and with a second yelp, he landed on the bathroom floor, a puddle beneath him, moaning from the pain in his back.  
"Ouch..."  
"Aww..." Lucy climbed out of the bath herself to hover over her injured boyfriend, looking into his eyes.  
"I guess I can have some clothes from you?"  
"I wuld prefer if yu wuld be vithout clothes tonight." he winked at her and Lucy laughed.

Leaning in, she gave him a kiss on his wet lips, feeling so special to have one of those popular 'spiderman-upside-down' kisses with him. Yeah, he was an idiot sometimes - but he was her superhero. Her cool, awesome, smart, handsome, strong and sometimes priggish superhero.  
"Hey...you never told me how you got those injuries in the first place." she said as she grabbed for some towels for them.  
"Heh..." Gru shrugged. "An old lady was robbed out on dhe street and I thought I culd beat dhe punk - seems like I was kinda wrong."  
"Aww...my brave little superman."

* * *

**[Jus' so you know: Atm I am writing as much as I can! I have 3-4 stories in progress and well, I'm having a huge lack of ideas right now! If you have a suggestion for the next scene I should write between the two of them, leave them in the reviews! It would help me a lot! ]**


	9. Remembering

**Date #89**

_There's a saying among villains that he knew by heart: Whatever may come, whatever it is and whoever it affects – never, ever, give in to emotions. Emotions are for victims. Be an empty shell. Take and never give, without a hint of shame. Kill and take live without a trail of empathy. Be cruel and despicable without shedding a single tear._  
_A single tear…_

Gru woke up with a horrified yelp. Sweat ran over his head and his body and his throat was dry, and his eyes burned – and his heart was pounding so loud and heavily inside his chest, he thought he was going to suffocate. Heavy breathing didn't help to regulate his breathing.  
Looking right and left, he realized – he was back in reality again. He was lying, alone, in his bed, in his big house, next to him, the room with his girls sleeping in. the curtains were covering the windows, letting in the light of the moonshine inside, just barely. The watch, blinking; it writes says '4:53'.  
With saucer eyes, he stared back into the emptiness, cracks of memories swirling before his inner eye, as he recollected the events he just witnessed.  
He and Lucy – A villain, and the hero.  
It came back, all so quickly, his entire dream set before his eyes.  
In his dreams, he had tortured her, hurt her, he had taken and given none without shame, been cruel and despicable and – he killed her.  
The single memory clenched his chest so hard he took in a strangled breath like he was about to drown in the sea of fears…  
He had killed her.  
He had send her straight into the active volcano, didn't cut her loose, didn't jump with her off the rocket, didn't bring her to the shore and did anything to keep her alive, to keep her happy – keep her with him.  
He left her for dead…  
Sickness took over his stomach and his hand threw to his mouth to prevent him from giving in to nausea. No…

"Lucy…" he whispered as if he still couldn't realize what he just did in his very dream. It was a dream, after all – but the mere thought, the mere knowledge that just a few years ago, he was more than willing to make this sacrifice, just so he would get to the moon and to suppress the world, to be the greatest villain of all time.  
The words spun in his head like a record with a crack in it: He was willing to make this sacrifice.  
He was willing to make this sacrifice.  
He was willing to make this -

_**"NO!"**_ he suddenly yelled, hands flying up to his head, holding it in pure panic and clenching his jaw together.  
"No…Nonononono!" he whined, shaking his head, pressing his eyelids close. His voice repeated the word until he transmitted over to a silent sobbing and pleading his head to let him go. To let go of the images, this dream, this memory.  
As in this moment, he felt his eyes moistening, and without a forewarning, tears rolled down his cheeks. His head jerked up.  
He…he cried…?

How many years has it been since he had cried the last time…?  
He was a man of science and semi-evilness – people like him never cried…or did they?  
Hastily, he brushed the wetness away from beneath his eyes and hurried to jump out of the bed, grabbing the curtains on the window as if he had to make sure this was real. His fingers brushing over the soft material of the fabric, his eyes roaming outside the window to see the houses of his neighborhood, all neatly standing in a row. Yes, he was home, he was safe – he wasn't the villain he was once. He was living here in his house, as a normal man, with his three daughters…he wasn't a villain anymore…  
Time passed like hours and Gru was still staring outside, breathing in and out to sooth his nerves,  
Closing his eyes and trying to regulate his heart sequence. Calm down, old boy, calm down…  
It was just a dream. You're awake now, none of this was real. You never killed somebody, you never returned to your old self. It's okay…  
It's okay…

...

Gru moved downstairs to the kitchen, his head was killing him. And his mind was still stirring thoughts around and brought back those horrible memories.  
It had been the sixth time now in a row this dream came back to haunt him. Six times – becoming worse and worse. While brewing up a cup of black coffee, he sat at the kitchen counter and buried his face in his hands, groaning in frustration. It never happened to be a big problem to him that people once feared him and since he had a lot of things in his very house that reminded him of who he was once, his head never seemed to even have the idea of snapping and waking up in the middle of the night, close to a mental breakdown.

It all started quite harmlessly – he dreamed about him, having the moon in his grasp and eventually gaining the well-deserved title of the greatest villain of all time – the moment he woke up was when his mind played tricks on him with how terrible he seemed to treat mankind. That was nothing to worry about, back then, it hadn't been necessarily a nightmare, yet a wishful thinking. But each night it came back, growing more and more horrible – images of him abandoning his daughters, of Miss Hattie taking them back to that ferocious place they had to live since they were just little infants, and him…he didn't even feel a bit of shame, of pity.  
The lump in his throat grew and even if he swallowed, it didn't help him to forget about this.  
Once his coffee was done, he gulped the first cup down in one go, not hesitating to make himself a second one.  
The next few dreams increased even more with Gru waking up continually, covered in sweat and with his heart beating fast in horror. But then came the period where he dreamt about Lucy. About her, how terrible he treated her, how he left her for dead – or murdered her.  
The second cup was empty within seconds. Gru held his head in one hand, the other clasping shakily around the mug. He was stressed. Terribly stressed.  
He figured that once he started biting on his lip until he could taste blood drawing to the surface.  
His jaw quivered._ Curses, not now…!_

Involuntarily, his eyes seemed to twitch around, seemed to be looking for something that would be his salvation from the tension. Gru grasped for the drawer, opened it. Several items he never really used, flashlights, broken keys, scissors and so on, were stocked inside and once his fingers grasped the hard material of the little cardboard box, he pulled it to his chest, opened it and put one of the small, long cork-tipped sticks to his lips, grabbing for a lighter.  
He drew a deep breath. Smoke filled his lungs and his mind and his body and his eyes rolled back into his skull as he exhaled, the steam tumbling through the air and vanishing.  
_Curse you, Felonious_…he rebuked himself. But he needed this right now.  
When was the last time he needed to have a smoke? He hadn't counted the years, he never was a permanent smoker, but even his daughters knew – if Daddy was having a cigarette, something was up with him.  
Good though that his girls were asleep though.

The tobacco bemused his senses for a short amount of time, while his mind started to collect itself again. Important to start with was – how come these nightmares happen to grow so intense each time? Why always about his past life as a villain…? Why now, after all, Lucy and he were literally on cloud nine. It was funny how this woman had changed him. These long calls at nighttime, the uncharming giggles they shared when they were together, the hand-holding, the arms-wrapping-around-each-others-waist, the exchange of affection in public and in front of the girls, those strange yet sugar sweet nicknames they gave each other, the way they played with each other's clothes, or when he was wrapping one of her loose bright-red locks around his finger to swirl them into a corkscrew curl, or her tiny fingers running over his head like she was desperately looking for hair to pull on. Or the times when they spend the nights together, and been waking up from each other trailing their fingers over their faces to map these freckles or scars or soft skin of each other and admiring them while sleeping…

Then why was his mind making up such gruesome pictures in his sleep.  
The third cup of coffee stood untouched in front of him, he just thoughtfully nipped on it sometimes before sinking back into pondering, not noticing hos his cigarette burned down without him drawing another sip.  
He would never ever do such a thing to her, or the girls. Never…or would he?  
Once, he was a criminal – people like Lucy were his nemesis. He wouldn't have stopped to…  
_Kill her…_

The sudden sting in his heart left him nearly breathless. He dropped the cigarette without even noticing, the cup in his hand started shuddering again in his grip and Gru had trouble with swallowing. Sickness came back to him, overwhelming him. The mere thought that he, Felonious Gru, ex-villain and former cruel man who wouldn't hesitate to kill a single man, would have murdered Lucy if she dared to be in his way…  
Would she ever trust him again once he would tell her what he would do to her if he was still a villain? Would she ever trust him to have changed? It hadn't been such a long time ago when Lucy was clearly stating that in her opinion, Gru hasn't changed at all – his old patterns would come back and eventually take him over again. She would leave him again.  
For real. For life…  
The odd moisture in his eyes came back…  
He couldn't live without her, how often has he told her this? How often did he promise her that he would never let her go, never would cause her pain anymore, how often did he promise he wouldn't ever fall back to who he once was – she always said she would be there for him, never would leave him again – but he knew she would eventually. She would leave him once she knew which somebody he was and could be again any would leave just…just like his father. Just like his mother. They knew what kind of specimen he was, what a cruel person he could be, what a disappointment he is…

The shallow sound of water dripping woke him up from his bedazzled state. Looking down, he figured the surface of his coffee seemed to be stirred. And then suddenly a drop of water or…rain or…whatever it may be – it fell down from his cheeks and into the cup beneath his face.  
Tears…  
His throat tightened, his eyes burned. He was crying…again…  
Tears ran down his face, and this time, Gru didn't do anything from stopping them to fall. They rolled down his cheeks, dropping into his coffee and on the kitchen counter and Gru desperately tried to make it stop, to repress his emotions, but as he exhaled the held air in his lungs, he couldn't do anything but sob. He sat there, crying silently, sniffing from time to time and rubbing his eyes. But the tears came falling. He was exhausted, sleep avoided him and whenever he tried to, these dreams came to haunt him and he was probably close about to have a complete breakdown. And there comes the crybaby again. He had cried so much when he was a boy and ever since then, he never shed a single tear. Never. Until this evening, that is. After a while, he figured that the suppressed urge to have somebody close to him to comfort him right now grew too much to handle, and storming into his girls room would be just a terrible idea – it would just cause an unnecessary mess. Nefario? Nope! He was his co-worker, not some person he could vent to. The minions? Ugh, certainly not. And Kyle? Kyle was a dog and at the end of the conversation, he probably would try to eat his hand or foot. So, he had really nearly nobody to talk to right now…except -

Somewhat mechanically, his hand reached for his phone.

...

A loud, shrill tone echoed through the house. Long, and repeating itself with a gap of three seconds.  
_Riiiiing, Riiiiing._  
Lucy groaned. Opening her eyes, she looked first at the watch, then to her phone vibrating and blinking on the small nightstand.  
Ugh, that's not happening, right? Who was seriously calling her right now, in the middle of the night? With some effort, she scrambled out of the warmth and comfort of her bed to sit up and grab her phone. To her mild surprise, it was Gru. Oh, what now? Did Margo have her period again and locked herself in the bathroom, like last time? Did Agnes become sick and wished for motherly care? Or wanted Edith to go on a spontaneous trainings-trip to the dojo at five in the morning? Well, she wouldn't know until she answered her phone, but inside, she was preparing herself for anything.  
"Gru…?"

"L-Lucy…hey…"  
Lucy blinked. Oh…  
He sounded awful. His voice was husky and broke in between like he was struggling to speak at all.  
"Gru? Sweetie, what's wrong? You sound like something bad happened."  
A longer pause. No sound was heard on the other side, but Lucy knew he was still there. The silent sound of the coffee-machine in the background told her so.  
"Honey…?"  
"U-Uhm…" he muttered. "I—I had a nightmare."  
"Oh…" Lucy said dumbfounded. Well – for a grown man, this was **_certainly_** a reason to call their girlfriend to ask for comfort; like a little child – but this was Gru! That was even more shocking!  
"Wow, who are you and what have you done to my boyfriend?" she joked, and he laughed weakly from the other side of the phone, but not long enough for Lucy to feel still worried about him. "Hon, now tell me – what really happened? You wouldn't wake me up at five in the morning to tell me you had a nightmare, right?"  
Again, silence. "Did Margo get her period again and need some female advice?"  
"Uh – no."  
"Is Agnes sick?" – "…No."  
"Does Edith bug you to go and train with me?"  
"I'm…pretty sure she doesn't." he replied slowly. "Well, what is it then…?"  
Silence.  
"Well…it's not jus' dis…but…" his voice broke again. "I-It's jus, dat…I have been thinkin' a lot and…Well, I haven't slept very good dhe last couple of days, to be fully honest, and…"  
"Gru…?"

"I—I call, because…Because I vanted…to say…"  
Lucy stiffened when he suddenly heart him sniffling.  
"Gru…? Gru, are you crying?"  
"N-No-No! No, I-I'm not cryin'…!" he defended himself, brushing away his tears. "I-I'm jus' a bit…a bit exhausted dat's all…"  
"Gru, shall I come over, perhaps…?" - "U-Uh...vhat?" - "Do you want me to be with you right now...?"  
"N-No, y-yu d-dun't have to…"  
"But I want to…you really seem to be down in the mouth."  
Gru nodded, although he was fully aware she was not seeing it.  
"I'll get dressed, hang in there, buttercup."  
And no ten minutes later, Lucy was sitting, half-sleeping in her car. She figured that Gru wouldn't mind if she showed up in her pyjamas, half of her clothes were at his place. As well as half of her cosmetics. She left it there for…hinting him something. It was always hard making him realize the easiest things – when it was the appropriate time to kiss, to hug, to cuddle, to make out or have some 'fun', she always pushed things along just slightly and it always helped without him complaining. But now that she had heard how desperate and…broken he seemed, she was honestly worried if it has something to do with her. Or their relationship. Gru was so much more careful since their temporary breakup. It was almost like all his confidence was blown away, replaced by a constant fear to do or say something wrong and lose her. Maybe…maybe he was having a nightmare about them breaking up? She knew how much he loved her and the relationship they had, and so did Lucy. She loved him more than anything in her life, and seeing him talking to her, looking at her, holding and touching and loving her, she knew, he did the same.

At his house, she took out the extra pair of keys that she received from him to open the door. It was dark inside, just the light in the kitchen was burning.  
"Gru, honey…?"  
She heard some noises inside the lit up room and quickly moved inside, to see a very pale, restless Gru pacing through the kitchen, a cup of coffee and a half-emptied kettle of coffee, and two cigarettes on the table – causing Lucy to gasp.  
"G-Gru…?"  
Gru seemed to be just terribly busy with his own thoughts – no doubt, the coffee even did its wonder on him. Muttering something in Russian, he looked at the ground, biting on his lower lip, almost like he didn't notice Lucy was speaking to him.  
"You – how many coffees did you have?!"  
He held up four fingers. "Four?!" She picked up the half-burned cigarettes. "And you have been smoking?! I thought you gave up smoking completely!"  
She soon had to realize that Gru was once again having his five minutes and Lucy learned not to interrupt him while he seemed to be clearing his mind by talking gibberish. At least, his mother language sounded like this. But this was different, he didn't show her his face, didn't turn towards her, his arm was wrapped around his body, while his hand was uncontrollably digging his nails into the crook of his neck, or holding his head.

"Gru…" she scooted to him and placed a hand on his shoulder – causing him to cringe violently and back away from her, like a hot flame just touched his bare skin and burned him.  
"Gru, look at me…"

Lucy came close to him again, placing her fingers gently beneath his chin to make him look into her eyes. And she could see the tears running down his face, his eyes red and his skin swollen from the saltiness. "Oh…oh, baby, what happened to you? Why did you cry?" He let out a shaky sigh – Her touch was so soothing, comforting and it settled Gru back to relax, but as soon as he closed his eyes, a fresh tear rolled down his cheek.  
"Oh Honey, oh my sugar pie…" she brushed his tear away, kissing his face with tenderness. "Oh, love, what's wrong…? What happened…?"  
Gru sniffled, running his hand over his face and gulped, before he drew her closer to him. "I-I…I keep dreamin' dat…" he sniffed again. "I keep dreamin' about my past life as a villain…a-and dat… dat I harm my daughters and…and give dhem back to Miss Hattie's, and…and I keep dreamin' dat…d-dat…"  
His breath hitched in his throat. A loud pang went through Lucy's heart when, for the first time, she saw Gru being so close to breaking into tears once again. She never had expected that he would become so…emotional. So vulnerable.  
Without even asking or thinking, she pulled him close to her, so close she was scared she would hurt him, but she didn't care.

She held him and brushed her hand over his back and his head and tried to calm him down.  
"Shh…it's okay Gru…I'm here…"  
Gru hesitated, but then he wrapped his around her thin frame and held her as well, burying his head in her open, curly hair and soaked in the fresh scent of her perfume and the smell of her clothes and just her in general. It was calming. Soothing. It always helped him overcoming his deepest sorrow and anxieties.  
"I'm scared, Lucy…" he whispered. "I'm scared of myself…"  
"But why…? Why should you?"  
"Because I'm a horrible person…"  
Lucy pulled away and looked back at him. A horrible person? He? Never.  
"Gru – you're not a horrible person. You're a wonderful, loving father and boyfriend. You make me and the girls so happy, you're our everything…we would never, ever see you as a horrible person…"  
"Even if yu know vhat I've did before…?"  
For a moment, the redhead hesitated to once again pull him into her hug, looking up at her lover with worry in her eyes. She knew everything about him. Not everything maybe – but enough to be sure this would change his mind:  
"I would, pumpkin…I would always."  
"But…I have done so many, terrible things…and vhat if I ever –"

"Felonious Alexej Gru…"  
Gru stiffened as Lucy was suddenly addressing to him in his full name. For the first time today, he was looking directly into her eyes. And she looked deep back into hers.  
"Ever since I met you, you have done nothing, absolutely nothing that comes close to what you did back in your younger days. Well…you did some things that weren't that great, but after all, you have apologized and you learned from it.  
You had a horrible past – but now look at you: You have everything you can dream of. You have three wonderful daughters. You have a family that finally loves you for who you are. You have a girlfriend and thousands of munchkins who look up to you…and I don't care what you did, or who you used to be – because all I see in you is that wonderful, incredible man I fell in love with."  
Her hand reached up to touch his face.  
"I love you for who you are today – and not who you were. It's in the past – now is the present."  
Gru's own hand touched hers, and with a deep sigh, he tilted his head against her palm, closing his eyes and letting her words sink in.  
This helped him, so much. It helped him accept that his dreams would just be a sick idea in the back of his mind and that now, he was loved and cared about and that he had her and the girls – he had a family. Fresh tears rolled down his cheek, but Lucy caught them with her thumb to brush them off.

"There, there, Gru…" she purred and leaned in to kiss him, first little pecks, before he finally responded. Arms around each other's bodies, they kissed and held each other close to them.  
What did he do to deserve such a beautiful woman in his life? Outside and inside.  
"I love yu, Lucy…"  
"I love you too, Gru…" leaning out, she glanced up at him with a smile. "Are you feeling better…?"  
He gave a weak nod.  
"Hey now, you know what we'll do now?" she let go of him and turned around, looking inside his kitchen. Gru watched her with slight skeptic, but he trusted her to do something that would probably cheer him up again.  
Lucy roamed around, knowing this kitchen form her previous times, but it was still so big and messy – she would have to motivate him to help her clean this place once in a while, for the minions seemed already busy with other stuff to tidy up in this big house. From time to time, she imagined what it would be if she would live here…  
Well, granted, she had a whole lot of stuff here already – her second pj, some other clothes, her favorite shoes, some of her make-up and whatnot else, yet she couldn't stop imagining what it would be like to…actually live with him.  
Gru was still waiting for Lucy to find what she was looking for, and watched with a frown. Why exactly was she roaming through the fridge?

"Uh…Lucy…?"  
"Where is it? Ugh, you have three kids and no-ah, look!" she suddenly raised a box ben and jerry's up in the air like it was a trophy.  
"Ugh…" Gru stuck out his tongue. "If yu're intendin' to make me eat dis –"  
"Why, yes! Icecream always helps when you're restless and have nightmares."  
Gru shook his head violently. Anything, anything but this sticky, sugary, gross stuff!  
Nevertheless, Lucy picked up a spoon and walked straight to the living room. By now she had learned that arguing with him about things he would refuse to try was useless, so she had to be a bit pushy.  
"Coming, Love?" she called and Gru rolled his eyes.  
"Dis woman's gonna be my death…" he muttered, but then he followed her, making his way into the huge hall with the long, red curtains, the crocodile couch, the two big chairs in front of the fireplace, the vast TV – he loved this house more than any house he had lived in. He had spent most of his childhood moving around, starting from the day he was born. From Russia to Germany, from Germany to Mexico and eventually, when he was about four years old, his family started wandering through America. The cold, dry east, the way-too-hot south, and finally the chilly yet satisfyingly calm west, at the coast of California, to this very mansion, where his old uncle lived. This house was older than both his and Lucy's age together – and many of his ancestors lived here before. He wondered if someday his own kids would run with the family-tradition and live their lives in these walls.  
Absently minded, his hand traveled over the cold wall, remembering what kind of memories he had while staying in this house, his childhood and young adulthood to the day he became a villain – and a father.

"Gru…?"  
Gru was pulled out of his trance and looked back at Lucy with an open mouth to say something, but quickly he decided to close it again, putting his hands on his back to move to her side.  
"What were you thinking?"  
"Uh – huh?"  
"You seemed absent for a minute – is everything okay?"  
Gru sat down next to her on the couch and watched as she opened the can with chocolate icecream.  
"I'm—fine, I guess…" he shook his head softly and sighed. "Jus' nostalgia…"  
"Ohh…" Lucy said in a sing-song. "My lovey-dovey is thinking about his childhood?"  
Gru was a bit startled that she could apparently look through him like a windowpane.  
"N-N-No…I-I vas jus'—"  
"Hey now, big guy – I know that glance." She put the spoon inside the box to put some icecream on her spoon. "You should have seen my Father, he was always indulged in reminiscences, always running through these houses and running his hand over the walls and remembering his childhood in this house we lived in – I never knew why he did that or why he was so caught in his memories about his past self, but…he always seemed to be a bit melancholic after this…"  
Gru listened and saw that certain glint of sadness in her eyes. Her father and mother died both, right after she left her home. She never really told him what exactly happened to them, just how much she seemed to enjoy the times when she was still living with them, how much she admired her father and her mother and every time she was revealing him a new story of her childhood, he envied her for such strength. It was not the kind of childhood he had had. But nothing worse or better either. She knew, unlike her, he always had struggles when speaking about his past times, and she accepted it silently. She never asked, never triggered anything – he was glad for that.  
"I can't remember what his childhood was like, he once told me about it, but…" she paused. "I forgot about it, I guess…"  
She smiled. She didn't weep or cry – she smiled. A weak smile…  
"Lucy…"

He was interrupted by her raising her spoon towards his mouth. Usually, he would never ever eat this stuff, but for her…  
Carefully nibbling on the cold, sweet treat, he tasted the unfamiliar and relatively hated taste of chocolate and smiled back at her.  
"But I know that he always was smiling as a kid. And he told me to do the same. He told he whenever times would be good or bad, at its worst or at its peak – it should smile…"  
She silenced again.  
"So, at the day of his funeral, I have been smiling as well for his sake. I knew he wanted me to smile forever, so…"  
She looked back at him. "My relatives told me I was a rude example of a daughter to smile at my own father's funeral. I guess…I guess they were right about it."  
"It vasn't rude at all…" he answered in a soft voice, and Lucy laughed before she paused for a while…  
"That's good to hear…"

...

Lucy and Gru didn't know how long they were sitting there, feeding each other with ice cream, pondering over said words…  
Gru gulped down the last chip of chocolate before he finally had the courage to look back at her.  
"Lucy…?"  
"Yes…?"  
"I…uhm…" he stammered, avoiding eye contact with her once again. "I'm…I'm sorry for…for yur loss."  
"Gru, that's…that's nice of you, but – it's fine…" her hand reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. "I don't know what you have experienced when you were a kid, but – I think you had a harder time than me."  
Looking back at her, something in his eyes seemed to sparkle, but she couldn't make out what it would be. Until Gru suddenly rose up from the couch and headed to one of the shelves to look over the books which stood there, neatly in a row. Lucy didn't question him, apparently he was looking for something she was longing to see and hear – his childhood. She never learned anything about his former live except him being a villain, but never how he was raised, how his parents were – well judging by how his mother treated him today, she could imagine why he always said he had a hard childhood. Finally Gru grabbed a large book and returned to her, sitting down to hand it to her.  
"Dis is my…uhm…"  
"Diary?" she asked with an eager smile. "Well, yeah, vith photos and so on…"  
"Gru…are you sure you…that you wanna show me this…?"  
"I-I…I am! Yu deserve to know…"

They both nodded in unison, and then, very carefully, Lucy opened the book.  
A bright smile appeared on her face when the first photo showed a little thing, wrapped in blankets, sleeping peacefully in a small bed in apparently a hospital.  
"Is that…?" she asked and looked back at him and he gave a soft shrug. "I have alvays been a hideous kid."  
"Oh, Gru, no you're not hideous…" she soothed him, looking back at the photos. She browsed through the book, seeing all these cute photos of Gru as a baby, a young child – even those which he rather would burn than show her – until she stopped. The picture of a tall man with short, ruffled hair, blue clear eyes and dark, black stubbles all over his chin, holding his little sleeping boy in his arms.  
"Gru, this is…"  
"My dad…" he nodded.  
"You—you look just like him." Her hand flew to her mouth as she seemed to repress her tears. She seemed to be so touched by this picture…  
A harsh sting zinged through Gru's heart, a dull pain followed. He looked away. He couldn't stand staring at this man. Not what happened after all of this…  
"Gru…?" Lucy asked once she saw him looking away with a bitter glance. "Gru, what is wrong?"  
"I…I wish I wuldn't be like him."  
"Why…?"

Without a word, he gently jumped to the next page. A photo of a small boy, blue eyes, black, ruffled hair and…a deep sad glance looked into the camera, his eyes swollen like he had been crying. It must probably have been an unlucky shot, yet – something seemed fishy about this. For on the next page, she saw him, sitting on a bench, clutching to a blue flower, she saw it again – that sorrowful look in his clear blue, young eyes.  
"Gru…what…what happened?" she asked, looking back at him.  
"My dad, he…" he took a deep breath. "He left dhe family vithout a word. He jus' – vasn't dhere anymore. I asked my modher, but she jus' told me dat Dad never wuld come back. I…I assume dat is dhe reason she grew so cold tovards me."  
A pause.  
"Well, uh…but it's fine, I dun't care – he probably is dead by now anyvay –"  
A hand rose up to his face and stroke his cheek gently.  
"Oh Gru…" she whispered. "I'm…I'm so sorry…"  
"It's…fine…I guess…"  
Lucy put the book on the cushions to close the space between the two of them and hugged him tightly; her arms around his neck and her body flush against his own. Gru was taken aback by this action – hugs have been always a strange thing to do, in his daughter's case, it was natural, but – he never had been receiving hugs by anybody else.  
So, carefully, he wrapped his own arms around her and held her close to him.

Once the temporary astonishment faded, the feeling of warmth filled his chest and he started to caress her back softly, almost like he was comforting her instead the other way round.  
But this was nice. It was nice and warm and cozy and the missing piece inside him was filled once again. They were like two puzzle pieces which didn't seem to be fitting, but once they were together, it was like they were simply meant for each other. It was probably the moment Gru realized something. He needed her. He needed her more than anything. He needed her here, with him, needed to feel her, needed to smell her, needed to wake up with her being the first thing to look at, needed her to sit with him here on this very couch and hug and cuddle until they would fall asleep.  
"Lucy…?"  
"Hm…?"  
"…I-I…Uhm…w-will yu…uh…"  
Lucy suddenly drew back as if she literally knew what he wanted to ask.  
"I-I mean, uhm…I-I really like havin' yu here, vith me, dhe gurls and…I was thinkin' – du yu perhaps wanna…move in here…?"  
There, he said it!  
Lucy blinked, for a few seconds none of them said a thing, then suddenly, the redhead smiled so wide, he barely had seen her smiling like this.  
And then she gave a soft laughter.  
"Well, Gru – I thought you would never ask. Although…" she looked at the table, where the second keys for his house were, looked down at her slippers standing neatly at the side of the couch, saw her coat hanging over Agnes' big teddybear chair…  
And she laughed again.  
"Don't you think we are actually literally living together already?"  
Gru frowned and blinked. "Uhm – can't say we actually du yet, Lucy."  
"No?" she teased. "Well, what about the cosmetic-bag in your bathroom. I assume neither you or the girls need mascara or lipstick, hm?"  
Gru shrugged. "Yu left it dhere because yu were in a hurry."  
"Yeah, so right…and what about my bunny-slippers? I left them there on purpose too? Or my Victoria Secret underwear you love so much on me?" she winked at him and Gru blushed. "We-Well, uh…"  
"And what about the second keys you gave me? Yu would never hand them to just somebody, would you?"  
He seemed to be thinking. But then he raised his glance at her and a weak laughter escaped him.  
"Oh my god, we ARE livin' togedher already."  
Both chuckled, and hugged each other once again.  
"Well, except that I have to bring much more of my stuff to yours and you needing to make sure your bed has space for me in future."  
"My bed has alvays space for yu, leetle lady."  
She blushed at that nickname – little lady. She wasn't that small compared to him, but whenever she wasn't wearing her high-heels, he called her exactly this name. It was cheesy, but she loved it anyway.  
"You think – you think the girls would be okay with me moving in?"  
"I'm sure dhey will…" he nodded. "Agnes anyvay."  
Another laughter was shared, and the rest until morning both were browsing through his childhood-photo-albums and ate terrible tasting ice cream.


	10. Together Forever

**Date #115**

Winter was coming, slowly, but perceivable. The first few snowflakes were fluttering from the sky, yet thawed at instant, which was making especially Agnes very upset. She had expected to have a huge pile of snow in which she could jump around and build snowmen and make snow-angels and snowball fights with her sisters and the neighbors.  
Yet, it wasn't simply cold enough yet. But nevertheless, Gru decided to wear longer scarfs and thicker jacket. Especially here – in Paris. If just somebody would have told him how terribly cold Europe was compared to America in this kind of season. It was still late fall, yet it felt like he was at the North Pole. Wouldn't wonder him if he would see penguins or ice bears passing him.

He and Lucy were set to France to find the stolen portraits which belonged to the famous _'louvre'_, the same museum where he once stole the mona lisa from. It was not like a usual job they received, mostly before they had stopped upcoming villains before they even could make their first move, or helped partner-agencies and the FBI. Nevertheless, even after Silas was trying his best to make them both go separate ways on this mission, both quickly bought tickets for the next plain to Europe, made sure Nefario and Marlena took care of the girls and the minions, and flew over to France to be investigating who removed them and where they are now. The big park with the vast glassy pyramid in its center at night was both creepy and romantic. Well, it would be, if they wouldn't be stuck in the west-building, scanning, analyzing and checking for finger- and footprints around the paintings, while the director was pacing around, whining about how miserable his life was and how this could even happen to them and some other French words. While Gru didn't even bother to try and calm the poor man down, but rather did his job with a few angry grunts and snorts, Lucy tried to make everybody leave so they could finish their work. Ugh, she was always friendly and liked the company of people – but sometimes they just could be a huge pain in the butt.

"_Mon dieu_, please, promise me, that you'll find our lost preciousness as soon as _possiblé!_ We 'ave not much time, Madame Wilde, the missing paintings must be back around this very week, before_ las Madame_ Hidalgo comes to visit us, _compris?_"  
"Yeah, yeah compris, now, would you be so kind and let us work? Thank you…"  
Gru ignored the upset chatter between the both and continued eyeing and scanning the now empty spaces where the paintings happened to be. He was just strangely surprised the guy only took three of them, and not the sort of absolutely famous and expensive paintings like the Mona Lisa – well, it wouldn't really bring him anything anyway - It was a surprise to see that they had found a replacement for the original and claimed firmly that this was the original. Both Lucy and Gru casting skeptical glances at each other, they simply shrugged and nodded. Oh, if they only knew… But however, according to the files, the portraits 'The Moneylenders', 'Baltasar de Castiglione' and 'Infanta Maria Margareta' were missing. Oh, what a tragedy, he thought while applying powder on the wall and around the marks of the frame – he knew these paintings and there was a reason he didn't stole certain things like those particular pictures. Granted, though – it was both strange and nice to be in a museum without the intention to steal anything, but to catch a potential thief and criminal.  
He heard the door opening and Lucy came back, throwing her jacket to the backpacks and equipment and tied her hair new.

"Gosh – this guy would have driven me nuts!"  
"No kiddin'…" Gru retorted, not taking his eyes off his working place.  
"Good thing I threw him out?" she asked slightly insecurely, grabbing for her waterbottle.  
"Yu're a lifesaver, Lucy."  
Lucy chuckled. Also she went and grabbed her strange gadget stuff which she digs so much, and started working next to him. While she was always relying on her little spy-toys, Gru had a better and more old-school method, which he would keep for himself, though. Of course she was always giddy and eager to try out her new stuff, even if it's not necessary. Whenever they head to a mission, Lucy carries her extra bag with her fancy agent-stuff which was anything – but really helpful.  
Yet, what should he do? He already told her a million times that this stuff won't get them any step closer, but rather annoys everybody, but well, it's practically impossible to change her mind.  
So, she angled for a little gadget see herself called 'the cleaner', and it's supposed to make pictures of the surface of an object to identify if there are certain prints, and later, it would even send signals to the set up laptop that stood on the box next to them – well, it should. But it certainly had its flaws. If it was made by him and Nefario, this thing not only would scan fingerprints, but also instantly would send these pictures to the AVl, with Datas of name, age and even current location. But she insisted on sticking to her selfmade-equipment.

"Wow, I must say – it's a lame job, but it's hella awesome!"  
Gru cast a doubting glance at her. "Well, we gotta literally overnight in this creepy old museum, surrounded by paintings and stone figures. Oh, imagine like in this movie, they suddenly start moving and speaking and become alive andwe hae a huge party with the,!"  
"Yes, yes, sure dhey will…" he muttered. "Tell dat yur leetle Sphinx-friend over dhere." He pointed at the stature of a female face upon a lion body, resting on the rock it was originally made of. "I guess she'll be dhe barmixer, and oh, look, dhe Venusof Millo –"  
He nodded towards the high statue of the woman, clothed in nothing but a tunica, with her arms missing.  
"She's like dhe party-skank?"  
"Gru!" she nudged his arm. "That was just a joke."  
A grin appeared on both their faces and they continued investigating. "So, how does it feel to stay in the very museum you once robbed out as well, huh?"  
Gru looked over at her with a frown. "Uh, well, uhm…it's kinda strange, vhen yu keep in mind dat I probably culd have been dhe one stealin' dhese."  
"Heh, so, what do you think? Who was it, and where is he off?"  
"No idea, to be fully honest…" he muttered. "But certainly nobody from here…"  
"How come?"  
The man shrugged and dropped his brush to get a new tool. "French people aren't known to be dhe stealin' kind of country…"  
"That's kinda racist…" she shook her head with a cocked eyebrow.  
"I'm a stranger to dhese lands, I may be racist." He grinned smugly and chuckled at her expression, but soon enough she joined, knowing he was just joking – but what he said wasn't that untrue.

From the reports they had had before, it never had been a local resident. It always had been a tourist, or more like a certain thief who planned his heist for months until committing it.  
She wondered if Gru had been one of those 'planer' when he was still into this business. She knew how much he hated spontaneity, most unlike her.  
Anything that would come randomly was like her favorite drug. After a while of them continuing to work on finding their evidences and staying silent, Gru gave an exhausted sigh and turned around to grab his waterbottle.  
"Hey now, no flagging, big guy – I still wanna have a certain session with you."  
Gru nearly spat out the water in his mouth and turned around to stare at her.  
"Vha—_here_?! Da-dat's…"  
"Creepy? Haha, I know." She laughed. "I was joking, honey – unless you like to have a quite seductively Cleopatra, waiting for you in her sarcophagus." She snickered, leaning over the stony statue of the lying sphinx, her leg lifting up to push up her dress slightly.  
She knew he liked this cheesy-kinky stuff. Yet she couldn't help but laugh at seeing him blushing deeply about that thought – and yes, it was quite weird to have their way in a museum.

"Lucy…" he rolled his eyes, but both broke out in laughter that dimmed into genuine grinning and smiling  
"I think yu need some fresh air…"  
Gru put their stuff into their backpacks and grabbed for his scarf.  
"Hey, big guy, we can't just leave now."  
"Jus' five minutes…I can't stay any longer in dis musty hovel."  
"And what if that guy comes back to steal the rest while we're off?"  
"He wun't! And even if he wuld, he wuld directl walk into my traps I set on – and actually, dun't yu think dat wuld spare us a whole lot of time of useless seekin', anyway?"  
Lucy sighed, staring at him, before he grabbed her coat and threw it into her direction.  
"Alright – but just five minutes!"

...

This night was particularly chilly. Lucy grabbed the large collars of her coat and pulled them over her face to shield it from the ice-cold wind. Paris was truly beautiful. The long streets along the Seine, the bright lights of the lanterns, the huge, tall trees and the mild breeze of the water – and it was so wonderful sharing this sight, this moment, with her hand clasped in his, as they walked alone through the streets of the city she always hoped to visit one day. The Eiffel Tower was glowing far back in the distance in yellow, red, blue and green. With a quick glance over to her lover, she could figure by the glint in his eyes that this, as well, had been a very, very big dream for him to seal as well – but how should he archive this in the first place? This thing was huge! Well, sure, he still had the shrink-ray, but before he had his little gadget – well, no way she would doubt his former evil genius; he would have found a way.  
She leaned in closer and gave him a kiss on his cheek.  
"Remembering…?" she asked.  
"Wishful Thinkin', radher…" he corrected her, but then shook his head to draw his attention back to her, squeezing her hand.  
"Well, I am sure you would have grabbed it with ease."  
But he bitterly shook his head. "Oh, nono – I was a villain, yeah, and a thief too – but dis thing? Nah."  
"Gru, you grabbed the moon! That's way cooler than just some building that glows fancily in the evening."  
It was a true miracle how she always prevented him from self-pity. Gru chuckled, leaning closer to her to give her forehead a loving kiss.  
"Yu must be right – also, I dun't need dhe Eiffel Tower – for I have somethin' odher here, close to me, dat stole my heart as well."  
Lucy chuckled and placed her hands on his cheeks to pull him down into a kiss with her.  
"You big lug…"

They continued walking, down the street, until they found themselves on a bridge. It was long, and quite shallow. It wasn't lighted, but the occasionally passing yachts passing beneath the bridge, music played and people danced and laughed. It was kind of killing the chilly, silent mood, but on the other hand, it was just so magical, seeing it rolling with the waves and the stream. They involuntarily had to stop to soak in that atmosphere. The wind still blew, but the coldness was gone for a second as the pair stood there, hands holding each other's. It was so romantic, it was almost a touching sight, even for Gru. Hearing Lucy breath trembling slightly, he instinctively pulled her closer to his side to keep her warm.  
First surprised, Lucy looked up at him. And then a content smile spread across her face. This man was just perfect. She loved him too much for words, loved his flaws and perfections, his daughters, his past, his present, and – she hoped she would like his future as well – if he was ready for that step, that is. She was sure she shouldn't push that topic, but…they were together now for such a long time…  
Imagining living without him was impossible.  
And so felt Gru.

"This is…wonderful…" she sighed at the sight of the Seine, running through the famous city.  
"Yes…" he nodded and somewhat, the grip around her became tighter.  
Naturally, not going unnoticed, as Lucy wrapped her own arm around his waist and snuggled into him.  
Suddenly, Lucy gave a surprised gasp.  
"Oh, Gru! Look!" she pointed at the railing of the bidge, which was quite small and fragile-looking.  
"Uh – vhat's dhere?"  
"Don't you see them?" she quickly dragged him further, and once they reached said spot, Lucy couldn't contain her giggles.  
"People actually put lovelocks on here!" she blurted giddily, holding up a red one with two names carved in. Fred and Marie.  
"Aww, this is so cute!" she looked back at Gru, yet all he could was looking back at her with a slightly confused glance. He once heard of those lovelocks, yet he never really understood the purpose of those things.  
"Who's hookin' up vith a guy called Fred?"

"Oh, Gru…" she gently nudged her elbow in his side.  
"The entire railing is filled with them, look! There are more…and more!" she went over all these names and couples. Martin and Helen. Jack and Molly. Amy and Brendon. By now, Lucy realized – they were standing on Pont Neuf, one of the probably most famous lovelock-bridges of Paris.  
She wouldn't have ever guessed fate would send them here, but…  
Gru quickly followed Lucy as she went on scanning through all the names like a little, blissful girl.  
"Oh Gru, of course – we are on the lovelock-bridge! Couples from all over the world come here to put their names on the locks and hook them up here." She swirled around, before sopping to look back at him. And then her happy face kind of – faded.  
"Ahh man – we should have brought our own lock here and hang it up…so people can see we were here – and imagine one day the girls come to visit Paris and find our names hanging here!"

Gru looked back at her and pondered. Hm…no, he hadn't had a lock with him. But maybe…  
Letting go of Lucy for a minute, he headed back to the beginning, where they had found the very first lock.  
"Hey – Gru, what are you doing? Where are you going?"  
"I'm gonna get us a lock!" he informed her.  
"Oh, big guy, it's in the middle of the night, and it's Sunday! Nobody will give us a lock now."  
But Gru didn't listen. He quickly picked out a paperclip he always wore with him and bent it into the hole, turned and switched it a few times, and crack, it opened. He just had to make sure Lucy wasn't looking, but of course, she was suspicious.  
"Gru, you're not gonna take one of the locks and crack it open, do you?"  
"U-uhm…no, sweetpea, trust me, jus' – one moment!"  
Taking out his pocketsized-blowtorch, he held it on top of its surface, the names slowly blurring and melting and eventually, he had a perfectly straight and smooth surface again to carve in their names.

Lucy watched from the distance, an amused grin on her face. Oh my goodness – what just happened with him? During just two years of dating, he had become so…gentle. Caring. So overly romantic, almost. In his own, special way.  
And she loved this side of him, even if he tended to grow back into the old patterns she bothered to fix, but eventually she should let him do his thing – he just meant it for a good reason and in the end she was overly flattered by his gestures.  
A few minutes later, Gru indeed returned to her, with a small, red lock in the shape of a heart, on which stood: Gru and Lucy – together forever.  
Lucy gasped again and she almost started crying. Was this…a sign? Would he want her to marry him? He didn't pop the question yet, but as he saw her face, the way she glanced at his words…  
She made him want to see her that way every day. He wanted to be with her together, truly. Forever.  
"Oh Gru, this is…beautiful! It's -"  
"Small, huh?" Gru chuckled. "Well, I vasn't intendin' to leave it in dis vay –"  
Gru drew out a little gun-like tool and darted it on the lock, and with a simple shoot, it suddenly grew thrice the size. It became terribly heavy suddenly for Gru to hold it.

"Ugh, didn't see dis comin'…"  
"Me neither…" she breathed. But with some help, both managed to lock it in the gate as well, next to all the other million lovelocks – of which theirs was the biggest one.  
Lucy beamed at him and back at the Lock.  
"Oh Gru, I just…" she jumped into his arms. "I love you so much, honey. So much."  
"I love yu too, Sweetheart…"  
Kisses and hugs were shared and Gru was sure. Yes – he would do anything to keep her by his side. He woul do anything to hold her like this, kiss her like this, together, forever…  
He wanted to marry her. He wanted to be the only one in her life and the only one in his life. He wanted her to become his wife.  
It was all so rushed and heated and Gru couldn't help but fall down on one knee, looking up at her, grabbing her hand.  
"Honey…?" Lucy suddenly gasped.  
"L-Lucy, I-I'm…"  
"O-Oh, Gru – don't tell me you're going to –"  
"L-Lu-Lucy, Wilde…" he cleared his throat, looking back up in her saucer, amazed eyes. Gosh, his hands trembled. His shoulders trembled. Everything in his body was trembling with nervousness and excitement. "Y-yu're dhe most…p-precious person in my life, and I love yu, s-s much, d-da—"  
"Gru, wait!" she suddenly blurted. Gru hushed. Oh no. Was that a no?  
She pulled him back up on his feet, looking back at him.  
"Hun...I…I know this probably sounds stupid, but – I, I really would like you to…to do this back home. Okay?"  
Gru was surprised to hear her asking him for this. He honestly was already fearing she was going to say no, say no to his proposal…but no, she wanted him to delay it!

Somewhat relieved, he forced himself to smile – and she smiled back.  
"I'm still bad at timin', ain't I?"  
"Yes, you are…" she chuckled.  
"Bu-But even if I wuld ask – vhat wuld yu have said…?"  
Lucy silenced for a second, looking up at him and back at the big heart-shaped lock and then back at him. "You'll see that soon enough, my big, biiig lug." She teased and pulled him down to kiss him, with Gru responding eagerly. His heart pounded with love, although he was sure she would have said no. Yes, definitely – but at least she gave him a chance for a second time! Well…it would probably be better anyway – he didn't even had a ring or anything, but this lock.  
"Hey…" she whispered between their kisses. "Hmm…?"  
"Where did you get that lock from anyway, hm?"  
"Heh…" he chuckled softly. "Remember Fred and Marie?"  
"Oh, No, no, you didn't…?" she half asked, half laughed.  
"Nobody likes dhe name Fred." He defended himself. "Nobody likes thieves…" He made a face at her. "Well, everybody except yu, I guess?"  
"Yep…everybody except me…" she chuckled.


	11. Commitment

_**Okayy, so, this entire Chapter will focus itself on one topic: Sex. I know, it's strange, especially after the lack of updates, but I am currently studying advantaged sex education and for me, it is **__**always**__** super important to figure out the sexuality of my otp's. The way the think about it, want it, need it and implement it - especially for a character like Gru and Lucy, for there is absolutely nothing given about these topics in the movies. My friends and I have a huge collection of headcanons about sex in Despicable Me movies, and here I'm gonna leave some for you... If it's none of your like, then I am sorry to tell you - beat it!  
Otherwise; have fun!**_

* * *

**Date #122**

If there was one topic Gru was most uncomfortable talking about, then it was definitely one - sex.  
Alone the words sounded strange to him. And the way people fall for their urges was odd was well. Not that he despised it, actually, he always enjoyed having sex with Lucy. It was a sign of both of their deep bond and inner longing to be with each other and please the one they love. Yet, each time Gru crossed a street with people talking about it, or advertising for certain products that are necessary for intercourse, and sometimes just watching people kissing in public - it made him cringe.

Lucy already knew and understood he was terribly uncomfortable at showing affection in public. Sometimes even holding hands was a huge thing for him, kissing was absolutely taboo. Maybe he was just too prudish. Nowadays, everybody was doing it - talking about it and showing it and showing off with it. Yet, Gru felt like an alien inside this huge topic to him that was both terrifying and appealing. He always judged his mother for the way he thought about intercourse today. She had never, ever told him about sex. Never had she told him the story about the bees and the flowers, or what was going on inside his pants when he grew up. Having nobody to show or explain it to him, he always avoided such topics. To the day he was now in a relationship, with a woman he loved and wanted to marry and had their little session often enough to know that he enjoyed it. But - maybe having them once a month was slightly too...less. Lucy didn't complain. It always happened spontaneous, sometimes when they came from a date or when they were doing nothing special, sitting and watching tv, or going to bed, or after grocery shopping. But they never really talk about it, announce it or ask for it. Lucy once suggested it, once. And he - every time he wanted to, he simply hadn't had the guts to ask. So he endured the nagging frustration, rather than creeping her out or making her uncomfortable.

Gru was sitting on his chair, arranging the mess of bills and paperwork for the AVL on his desk in two stacks, here and there giving his signature or correcting and adding a word, made a tick in certain boxes he left out or added the date. It was late already, the second cup of coffee stood next to him, his dinner lied half eaten on the other side of the table, some small moths and bugs swirled around the small lamp. The girls were already in bed, so was Kyle, and Gru ordered the minions to cal it a day and rest for the night as well. He was alone, once again, probably not closing an eye for the night. His insomnia was a part of his daily life now, but he barely needed any three to four hours to be fully well rested. Lucy was yet again on a mission with some colleagues in Turkey to help the refugees to find shelter and have enough water and food for their families. She was gone for over a month now, and he missed her with each day more and more.

She was such a brave and courageous woman, never had he seen such a self-less person like her, who did anything to make the people around her happy. She helped the people in South Africa to escape their villages with people suffering from Ebola, she found homes for homeless people in the Ukraine, she did a lot for people who needed help, and if Silas wouldn't get this woman a promotion at once for catching the most potential villains around the areas and helping others in need, he would storm personally into his office to demand it. While thinking about her, he almost forgot to continue his work, all he did for the past five minutes was daydreaming about her, swirling his pen between his fingers and watch the bugs flying around the lamp.

Yeah, he was really a lucky man. He had a wonderful family with three adorable girls and hundreds of minions who were not only his worker but friends to him, he had saved himself the title as the man who stole the moon, and thus the greatest criminal mastermind of the century - and he had the most adorable and admirable woman in his life. If there was one thing he wanted more than anything - it was definitely marrying this person. To have her with him in his life forever. To grow old with her, live his life to the day he will die, holding her hand, seeing her smile, hearing her laughter, waking up to her each day. If she would say yes, if she would accept to marry him, he would be the luckiest and happiest man on the entire world.  
Looking at the empty little box he had saved for a special gift for her, he smiled. Some day...

After a while of scribbling down on the sheets, sorting them and sipping on his coffee, Gru suddenly figured that thinking about Lucy has set something free inside him. He missed her, he really did. He missed hugging her. Holding her. Kissing her...  
Shoving his hand slowly up her leg, under the hem of her dress.  
Gru shuddered, and shook his head slightly. Come on, Gru, focus. No time thinking about her legs...and her round behind and...wow, he loved watching her moving around, how her fragile figure was elegantly striding around him and he imagined being with her in the shower and - He bit his lip while taking in a deep breath. Focus...  
But no matter what he did to get himself off these fantasies - they already had invaded his mind, his eyes. Had he ever told her how much he loved every little step of hers? Her slim, tall figure that was so soft and huggable? How her skin was softer than silk and her scent the most arousing scent in this universe was...?  
How each time he was alone in his bedroom, he hugged the pillow she was lying on in previous nights and sniffed in her scent, this sweetness of honey, fresh flowers, mixed with his detergent...she was his. And his alone. After struggling with finding his concentration, Gru pushed himself off the desk and turned out the light to head to bed. His mind was tired and his body was worn out, and maybe sleeping for a while would help him and his brain.

Once he reached the bedroom, he started undressing, a sudden soft wind brushing over his skin and he nearly has mistaken it for A soft, tiny hand caressing his shoulder...her hand. Shuddering again, Gru gulped. This was getting ridiculous now! He had lived his entire life without somebody touching him, why was he now thinking it was Lucy's? She was gone, and it would only be a week from there until she would return.  
Shaking his head, he brushed his pajama over his head and crawled into his bed, snuggling inside the sheets and took a deep breath to relax. He was in denial - he knew it himself; He was longing for sex.

The thoughts about Lucy, the sexual references inside his head - it was too much for him. He was a scientist, a clever, humble and strict human being, he had better things to do than fantasying. He had endured such feelings before, and some of them were way worse than this.

With a sigh, Gru detached his eyes from the cold wall and turned around, seeing the empty spot where Lucy usually slept in. The tiny wrinkles in the sheets and the empty tea-mug with her clock and her photo frame on the nightstand next to her, he even still could determine her scent - it was like she was still there.  
Mechanically, Gru reached for her pillow and drew it closer to his face, sniffing on the material of the cover. Honey, berries and the slightly bitter scent of coffee and her natural body odor. His eyes fluttered close. His heart skipped a beat. His body heated up a notch, and he cradled the pillow like it was actually her.  
But with the sudden outburst of emotion, something else emerged inside him that made him puff out a low gasp. _  
_Don't imagine her in the shower, don't imagine her in underwear - or wearing one of your sweaters, where her legs are barely covered and - oh _my!_  
Gru bit his lower lip, pressing his eyes close, the slight warmth beneath his waste made him cringe and shudder and he hoped it would stop now and forever.

Instead of feeling utterly aroused he just felt shame. He hadn't had any of these incidents in a while - why now? Gru pressed his face inside the pillow that smelled so wonderful, and tried to calm down. He was tired. He was overworked. His mind wasn't working correctly and he really just needed to sleep, right now. And tomorrow everything would be normal again.

* * *

"Gru! Gru wake up!"

Gru stirred, mumbled, and yawned, before a heavy thud made all air leve his lungs in one go. When looking up, his eyes detected a little human in a pink hat on his chest. "Edith...vhat is it?"  
"Lucy is back!"  
It took him a while until he recaptured what his daughter told him. "Hnm...no Edith, Lucy's still in turkey, she'll be ba-" - "Gru, she's downstairs and makes breakfast for us! Come on now!"  
He blinked a few times, strangely confused, before he was out of bed with a swift movement and ran down the stairs, into the hallway, without getting properly dressed - even Edith was surprised over seeing her father rushing off in his blue pajama, which he never wears outside his bedroom. Moving fast down the stairs and into the kitchen, he saw the lanky redhead making peanutbutter and jelly toasts for the girls, who sat at the table. Once lucy noticed the big figure standing in the door frame, she smiled at him. "Hey, sweetheart..."  
"Lucy already made us breakfast, you don't need to make pancakes." Margo informed her father.  
"And she brought us my little pony figures! I got the unicorn one!" she proudly lifted her little hand to show the figure.  
"Oh, heh, yes - I thought i should bring the kids some toys from my trip." she smiled back at him and Gru came closer to wrap his arms around her and draw her closer to his chest, without saying a word. Lucy was surprised first, but with a warm chuckle, she rested her head against him. Warm, and cozy and so familiar. Now she was officially home. Home where she was close to the man of her dreams.  
"Missed me?" she asked softly. "So much." he replied, and cupped her face to kiss her on her lips with her gladly accepting.

"Gaaah!" Agnes squealed. "Eeww! Gross!" Edith stuck out her tongue.  
"Ey -" Gru looked back at his daughters and they started giggling. "Come on, give us a break."  
"Hey now." Lucy patted his chest. "Let kids be kids, hm? Come on, you gotta help me a bit with my bags."  
She drew him with her and out of the kitchen, back into the hallway to the door, where at least three gigantic suitcases were lying on the ground. Honestly, he couldn't remember she had been leaving with such huge luggage. One for her clothes, the other for her equipment - and the third one?  
"I know - it's much." She shrugged at noticing his expression.  
"Much? Not even me and dhe gurls use dat much baggage for a trip."  
Lucy chuckled. "Well, a woman still has some necessities, hm?" she winked at him.  
Gru bit his lip and tried to hide the heat seeping up into his cheeks and making them glow in a healthy red shade. "So, how was life without me?" she asked, while her boyfriend grabbed her bags and lifted them up with ease. "Uhh..." Gru shrugged, feigning some disinterest. "Kinda okay i guess."  
"Ohh, come on now." she playfully punched his shoulder. "Didn't you miss me at all?"  
Lucy was surprised he let the suitcase down on the ground again and approached her to lean in and whispered: "I did, hon - i did."  
"Heh..." Lucy felt her skin shiver slightly from his breath wandering over her earlobe. Making sure she would stay close to her, she grabbed his collar and drew him in for a very sensual kiss, starting small and working up slowly, with Gru making some repressed voices and her sighing in between.  
When the need for air grew too much, both parted from each others lips and smiled at each other. "You know, when the girls are asleep, i can show you how much i missed _you_."

Gru hesitated for just a second. Probably a second too long, because the syrupy sweet smile disappeared instantly. Should he tell her about his strange and inappropriate dreams? Talking about it never was a big topic for them, never. Thus, he was not sure if it was a good moment now either -  
"I-uh."  
"Gru?"  
Gru and Lucy turned around, seeing that Nefario was standing in the hallway, his hands behind his back, his eyes, hidden behind his goggles, stared at his younger co-worker and his girlfriend, cleaning his throat to get their attention. "Uhh...yes, Doctor Nefario?"  
"There would be a tiny thing in the lab you should look at for a second -" and then he nodded towards Lucy for a second. "Good to see you again and in one piece, Miss Wilde -" before he looked back at the ex-villain. "- it's urgent."  
"Oh, of course." Gru nodded and sighed, turning towards Lucy. "Hey, it's alright! I'll get my things upstairs myself." she gently stroked his cheek, but inside she was a little bit worried. He seemed absent. Anxious. Maybe something has happened while she was gone?

* * *

Later that evening, the couple, re-united at last, were sitting on the couch, watching photos on Lucy's laptop from her trip. He never had the urge to visit Turkey, especially not because of the heat. But now, seeing these photos of the coast and the people and just completely different cultures, he could indeed understand what was so fascinating for Lucy, being an agent who never was sent outside the US.

"And here is the guy with his donkey who sold me my shirt." she proudly lifted the straps of her current tanktop. "I bet dhey were filled vith lice and ticks."  
"Ah, no, no, even if they were, i washed them twice." she chuckled, skipping to the next picture. "This is the beach i had right in front of my hotel. Oh, it was so wonderful - the sight, the salty air, and you could literally watch the sunset and how the sun is sinking into the sea."  
She sighed. Gru looked at the picture of the sandy landscape with rocks and some abandoned umbrellas and towels, the sky colored in pink and orange.  
A tiny smile appeared on his face. He never went to the beack, at least not before he had his girls. He hated being to, well, bare on some body parts, but otherwise the sight was indeed nothing to trade with.  
"Well...that's pretty much it, sadly." she placed the laptop back on the little table in front of the couch and looked back at her boyfriend. "You should take the girls there too, sometimes, they would love it!"  
"Hmm...maybe." Gru shrugged.

"Hun...? Can i ask you something?" she leaned in and placed her hand on his cheek to make him look at her. "Is everything alright? You seem not so...happy, you know?"  
"Me? unhappy...?" Gru crunched his face in slight confusion. "Vhy shuld I be unhappy? Yu're back and dat made my day, and my week." He took her hand and she chuckled when he kissed her knuckles. He could be charming if he wanted to, and she loved these small gestures of him.  
"I know, it's just - " she hunched her shoulders, paused for a minute and then looked back at him. "Is there something you perhaps wanna talk about?"  
Gru bit his lip, blinking with a deadpan glance at her. Oh dear, he hoped he could avoid this situation - he really didn't want to talk about these dreams and fantasies he never had of her before, throughout the almost two years the two of them were dating by now. After he didn't answer for a long while, he started to shake his head. "N-no, no nothin' to talk about."  
"Sure? You know, you can trust me, right?"  
"Of course i du, but - i swear, it's nothin'! I'm overworked and I'm yearnin' for dhe weekend - dat's all."  
He held his head like he wanted to demonstrate the headache he has from the stress. "Aww, my sugar plum." Lucy mused, hugging the large torso of her boyfriend.  
"My peanutbutter cup, my sugar sweet grumpy, overworked baby..."  
"Mph..." he mumbled, silently enduring all these terrible nicknames she was giving him. and the next thing he noticed were two cold fingers running down the base of his neck and slipping inside the collar of his sweater. Brr, wow. A shiver ran down his spine, but not from the coldness, but from the unexpected touch. She pushed her hand further down his back to feel his muscles and bones working beneath that soft and warm layer of skin.  
"Mhh...i missed this..." she whispered. "I missed touching you..." her nails formed into claws, gently scratching over his shoulderblades, and he lets out a small moan.  
"Lucy..."  
She turned around on the sofa to adjust her legs, swinging around his hips and lips finding his face. She gently kissed his cheek and his jaw and his neck, sucking and nibbling gently, and Gru once again let out a shivering groan. Nimble hands suddenly pulled his shirt up. they were so tiny and fast, it was like trying to catch a mouse. However, he wanted to get rid of his shirt as fast as possible as well and pulled it off, being only in the thin shirt he wore beneath.  
"Oh yes...really missed this sight." she chuckled, and before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her down to him, pressing her chest into his own, hands moving beneath the shirt she bought in turkey and with a blissful grin he noticed she once again was bra-less.

"Yu planned dis, didn't yu?"  
Lucy shrugged while feigning innocence. "Dunno what you're talking about - i always run around like this around my sugar plum." -" Sugar plum my ass." he growled back and Lucy laughed, fading into a gasp as his hands found her breasts, squeezing them through the fabric, running his thumbs over her tips.  
"A-Ahh, yes, Gr-"  
Suddenly a loud bleeping sound echoed through the room, and without any warning, the monitor of her just recently turned off laptop shone in a bright blue shine in the room, the arrogant and stern face of their boss, Ramsbottom, appeared on the screen.  
"Miss Wilde, I-" his glance fell onto the scene on the couch, with her leaning above her partner, him holding Lucy's breasts in his hand and both staring in pure confusion at the screen. After a whole while of awkward silence, Silas cleared his throat. "M-Mister Ramsbottom!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping off Gru to hold her arms in front of the spot that were touched some moments ago, and Gru sat up as well, his hands anywhere but Lucy's boobs and both wearing cramped grins.  
Silas eyed them critically. " I apologize for my sudden call, even if you were...busy."  
"Uh, no, uh, we weren't busy, right Gru?"  
"Well...uhm..." she interrupted him instantly: "How can we help you, Silas? Are you calling about my mission? I have signed the mission and complete and put the files on the co-"  
"No, that's not why i called, Miss Wilde..."  
A few moments of silence again as Silas' butler appeared to serve him tea. Tea, Tea, this guy was always drinking tea, Gru scoffed.

"I was calling to inform you that there is another mission I need you to attend. Two weeks, a conference in New York i need you to spy out -" He stirred his tea with the added sugar and took a sip, leaving the couple kind of speechless. Another mission? Two weeks? They wouldn't see each other for two weeks again?  
"That's ridiculous, yu can't jus' send Lucy back on a mission! She jus' came back from her previous one!"  
"No, no, I am not talking about Miss Wilde, Mister Gru - I mean you."  
Gru was about to respond, but every word was blown out with these news. He? Lucy finished her last mission for this year and now he had to leave?  
"Vha- vhy didn't yu tell us dat before?!" - "Well, due to some complications among the other agencies we have been aiming to team up with for this mission, they were forced to drop it - and as far as i remember; didn't you just recently complained about never receiving missions yourself?"  
Once again, Gru didn't know how to respond and out of anger, he let out a deep growl. Yes, he did ask for mission too - but not separate missions! Missions with Lucy, where they could be partners again, like always.  
"Uhh...and when is he going to have to leave, Silas?" Lucy jumped in, preventing from Gru crushing her screen.  
"I booked the flight for him. He's going to leave tomorrow at ten in the morning."  
"TOMORROW?!" both blurted out and nearly flipped over the laptop from the table.  
"Yes, tomorrow! And I expect you to be on time, without dropping the mission as well , otherwise, I'll have a neater look over your files, Mister Gru, and make sure the MI6 will hear of you! Good evening."  
And with that, the screen shut down again, and the room went dark.  
"Curses!" Gru punched down onto the table. "Gru, calm down, please." - "No, no, Lucy, i can't! This guy does everythin' to make me hate dis job! AGH!"  
He let himself fall back into the couch, burying his face inside his palms, huffing angrily between his fingers. Lucy leaned down to him to the couch herself. "Darling..." she whispered. "Darling, look at me."

Gru lifted his hands from his face to throw her a tired glance. "It's just going to be a few weeks. You can do that, hm?"  
"I don't wanna be parted from yu again, from dhe gurls..." he whispered back at her with pleading eyes. "Please dun't let him take me avay from yu guys."  
"He's not - oh, Gru..." she hunched down to hug him again, and Gru slowly slipped his arms around her too, pressing her close t him. "We'll be happy when you're back, okay? And we'll have a picnic and eat ice cream and hotdogs."  
"Hm..." Gru looked back into her eyes. "And we'll delay out little session, hm?" she bit her lip playfully, before both started chuckling.  
"I'll go pack my stuff..." he mumbled, getting up and walking upstairs.

* * *

Two weeks, and Gru didn't seem to make any progress - if there was any progress to make, at all. Most of the time, Gru was stuck in his hotel or walked through the terrible crowded city of New York. The city that never sleeps. He wished though it would once for a while, for he had issues finding rest and peace at night. He missed the silent streets of Pasadena. He missed his big, soft and cuddly bed. He missed having his daughters and Lucy around him, but he was on the other side of this country and did nothing but waiting for that certain day the conference he needed to attend was coming. This Silas was the devil in suits. Whatever it was this guy was loathing about him so much, it was driving him to the point where he did anything to apparently keep him on the lowest class. He was not some exchangeable agent - he was a top-agent. The best one in the AVL, that is. And although both Lucy and he already requested numerous times to only attend missions as a team, Silas separated them each time. Not only that - most of the cases were done quicker and neater when they were working together. Lucy always fighting, Gru always working with his gadgets, bringing them out of the most dangerous situations. He remembered that one time the couple was captured in the burning house and the only way out was through a small air duct. Or the time they were caught by a gang of international criminals - and Lucy nearly gave him a heartattack by telling him she was pregnant - it came out she was kidding, but he didn't find this joke so funny.

Gru sighed, letting the steam of his hot breath puff in the cold air around him. This five stars hotel was really nothing compared to his own house. The familiar scent and the feeling of being secure - and home. He closed his eyes and imagined he was back home, standing in front of the window in his mansion, The kids next door sleeping and Lucy in bed, reading her book while Kyle was destroying one of Gru's socks. Some years ago when he wasn't a father or boyfriend, he would have loved to be on his own for a few weeks, but now, it was a torture to think that his beloved ones were far away and he was gone, leaving Lucy and the kids alone.  
Not that he didn't trust Lucy to do a good job, the girls already accepted her fully as a part of the family. He just never found it easy to leave by his own.  
Gru drank the last sip from his glass, turned out the big light, leaving only the small light next to the bed alight. Then he started undressing. It's a strange feeling, knowing that you could literally run around this room without any clothes for he was resident in the uppermost floor of the huge hotel and nobody would see you - but of course, Gru didn't even think about doing this. He pulled out his sweater and pants, while stepping towards the shower. The stream of hot water ran over his shoulders and his back and Gru let out a relaxing sigh. He needed this. After his flight, he was worn out and gladly got rid of the sweat and dirt on his skin.

Involuntarily, he leaned against the cold tiles, his head resting against the wall while the water cascaded over his shoulders. His mind wandered while he watched the water running over his arms and his chest - images of his family, of Gru trying to help Agnes having a bath for the first time. The struggle, and the eventual good job he did. Or convincing Edith to take off her beanie while showering. And what a complicated conversation it had been once the youngest and he were showering together and Agnes finding some "Strange things" on his body that were totally different from hers. A smile tugged on his lips. Innocent little Agnes...  
And then he remembered when Lucy took care of him, of her washing his wounds after they had this fight, and Lucy suggesting to have a bubble bath -  
Suddenly Gru felt the air around him becoming warmer and harder to breathe, probably because of the hot water - but when his brain came up with these certain memories of them in the shower and in the bathtub, and - oh my, not now!

He pushed them away. Thinking about them making out in such places was not appropriate right now. What did Silas say again...stay professional. But out of any reason, his mind found Lucy back and his hands had the urge to touch her, to draw her close to his own body. No. Stop! Think of anything! Anything but Lucy right now!  
And so his eyes wandered off to find anything to distract himself. The shampoo bottle. Belongs to make-up for women. Lipsticks...lipstick taser...Lucy.  
He shook his head. Dark Green Tiles. Green. Like Grass. Like her eyes...Lucy.  
Gru bit his lip harshly while his mind started working harder and his breath became quicker. His body heated up, but certainly not because of the hot water.  
Rockets! Rockets fly to the moon. Rockets with sharks strapped on. With Dynamite, flying into an active volcano - Lucy.  
Sweet stuff. Sweet, sticky, disgusting cookies and muffins. Muffins and Cupcakes. Cupcakes; bake my day - Lucy.  
Animals...like dogs, cats, mice, chickens - chickens, Pollito, that_ polo is loco_ - Lucy.  
Anything...anything...the collar he bought her - Lucy! Their first date - Lucy. The kissing, the hugging, the handholding, the touching and drawing close - the snuggled up in bed, body on body, feeling, tasting, smelling her, the warmth of her and her beautiful face and her in the morning when she wakes up and the sun shines on her face, on her lips and her freckles and her curly red hair - Lucy. Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.

Gru gasped as a sudden sting of warmth zinged through his body, seeped into between his legs and his hands shivered, needy to touch. His left hand clawed into the wall next to him, the other grabbed the right side of his chest, his heart pumping hard against his palm, his mind swirling, his eyes sore and his mouth dry. His lungs filled with steamy air. He looked down on himself and gulped. Oh no, this was not good. Not. good!  
With a shaky breath, Gru pondered what to do now. He could try and calm himself down, get out of the shower and head to bed instantly - or...  
He couldn't. How should he? This was not okay, this was close to revolting! But the fantasies. They bemused him. And when he imagined two tiny hands spreading their fingers over his chest, Gru involuntarily dipped his head and huffed a moan. He wanted to run away, sink into the ground or hide in a hole and never come back again. But his mind swirled on, the water cascading over his shoulders, his hand scratching lines over his heated skin, down his chest and his belly and him sucking in the air in hisses and sighs, imagining it was lucy who touched him. With delicate hands she would dig her fingers into his sides and suck on that spot on his neck he loved so much and press herself close to his own. And she would wander, down his body, to his waste, brushing over his lowest region - And then everything stopped as his hand would find himself. he woke up from his trance. With a gasp, his hands let go of him, turned out the water and got out of the shower instantly. He swung his bathrobe around him and headed back to the living room, grabbing the cover and jumped beneath them and huddled up until he was almost hidden completely, hiding from the world and reality and the pleasant burning throbbing in his inner thighs. The air was still hard to breathe and his mind kept filling itself with him and Lucy on this very bed - rolling around, naked, kissing and exploring. Gru shifted uncomfortably in his position, and cringed when his obvious bulge brushed against the fabric of his coat. He needed distraction. Right now. He moved slightly to grab the file with the information and hoped reading through them would help him falling asleep. But after ten minutes without feeling tired in the slightest, Gru grabbed his phone and scrolled through the photos.

Photos of the little family, starting with Gru and the minions, some pictures later, his three daughters were visible. With them at the beach, or on birthday parties, or in the zoo with Margo and Edith having little parrots on their heads and arms, or Agnes petting a seal, with them going swimming and painting with chalk on the front yard ... and then there were the photos with Lucy. Gru smiled at each of them, widely. He was happy he had her. And he was happy his daughters had her. Sometimes he wondered how he even could live without someone like her, without having her around him.  
Gru kept scrolling through the pictures, eyes growing tired, and everything that bothered him was suddenly gone, leaving nothing but that warmth inside his body that felt nice and cozy and warm.

* * *

Four words - most. boring. mission. ever.

This entire congress was going on for over three hours now, and his suit started to get itchy and he was sure by now half of the people sitting in their chairs and saying nothing were half-asleep too. If this was, what Silas heading to - having him bored stiff - he was successful. Gru was infiltrated into the conversation as a certain ' Ryan McGoy', apparently someone not so important in the group, for people barely asked for his opinion. Good, he thought. It was hard listening and talking anyway. Gru had placed the bugs all around the room, beneath the table, the chairs, the walls, even one into the flowerpot in the middle of the table - not a single word would slip his grasp. None. He could practically fall asleep right now without missing a single word, but he was sure that once fallen asleep, his chance to detach the bugs would be gone and he had to find a more complicated solution to get the recordings to the AVL.

He had stopped caring what this conversation was all about some while ago. The people didn't mind him, no one asked him many questions, and he emptied his third glass of water in the 'uncontrollable' fuss of boredom. He tried to remember by the files what kind of congress this was, but his brain was completely numb. Thinking was hard and the weird dude with the gigantic white mustache and red glasses was talking with such a slow and dark voice, it lulled Gru into a semi-sleep-state.  
And while the man with the weird mustache kept talking, Gru's mind wandered off once again to think about anything but this conversation How are the girls doing with Lucy, and Nefario, he wondered. How are the minions keeping up with work? Have they payed the bills correctly? And fed Kyle? And has Edith cleaned Spider's, her new pet guinea pig, cage? Sometimes Gru even wondered if Lucy was working back in the offices of the AVL instead at home, at his or her place - and what if this weirdo, Maximillian, was flirting with her again? Grr, how he hated this guy! He had tried several times to ask her out for a date before they were dating, and even now when he knew she was taken, he kept making these innuendos he would gladly like to push down his throat and make him choke on them. He was in the same department as she was, and she already told hin he was one of the reasons she rather kept working in her apartment, or back in his house, now that they were officially moved in together - yet all he could think sometimes when he was gone for his solo-missions, was how this guy was wooing her and make her fall for these weird pickup lines...He felt his fist clenching.

"Mister McGoy, are you alright?" All eyes suddenly were fixed on him, staring at him in similar monochrome expressions. "Uhm...yeah, I'm sorry. Please...proceed."  
And thus, he started over again, where he was interrupted by Gru's teeth-clenching. It was stupid to think that Lucy would left him for anybody. They loved each other. And he had told her a thousand times - among the loves he felt for people already, the one he shared with Lucy was the most special and deepest affection he ever felt for someone, and Lucy assured him it was the same with her - and compared to him, she already had a few dates and relationships. Sometimes it was strange thinking these lips weren't his alone, but were touched by many others already. And her body had been succumbed to others than him. She was a pretty girl, with curvy hips and soft skin and adorable freckles all over her shoulders and her back and the sides of her body. No wonder other men already fell for her. But imaging that this body was for him, and him alone, was a huge turn on -  
And by then, Gru realized what he was thinking about again - and swallowed. Oh dear, stop it right now! Think of anything, ANYTHING, but this right now! He swallowed, and then he took in a steady breath. Another one. Keep calm, calm...

But with coaxing himself into this state of relaxation, of breathing and trying to clear his head, his hands started shaking, his mind slowly filling up with sounds that weren't there but he remembered from their intimate moments, of the soft whispers they gave each other, the breaths running over his ear and her voice filled with bliss and commitment and his own heartbeat pounding in his entire body, his hands, his head, his stomach -  
He opened his eyes with a light gasp, as in a harsh flare, the heat was overwhelmingly hot and forced a throbbing feel of sweet pain into his veins, running from inside his thighs into his lower body.  
"Mister McGoy, are you sure you're -"  
"E-E-" Gru stammered, quickly getting up from his chair. "E-Excuse me for a second."

He grabbed his coat and quickly ran outside the room, looking around once he was out of the sight of too many people. Gru looked for a place to hide. The lockers? No, too small. Outside? No way! The roof? Takes too long - eyes darting to find something that would keep him in the safest place possible, he rushed ahead, until he saw the sign of the restrooms - the ladies restrooms, that is. No matter. He dashed through the door inside, It was empty. No soul to determine. Blinded by the harsh pulsing, his hand scanned for the doors, for a stall where he could stay. And with a last sip of air, the door flung open, he tumbled inside and locked it. The sounds of the lock and the door closing loudly, nothing but his pants left that filled the room with the echos, Gru slipped down on the toilet seat. His body was heavy. His sight spun. And all that he was thinking about was that his hands were so itching to touch the softness of his lucy's skin and how pleasantly aching his sensitive spots grew. It send shivers down his spine. Both in pleasure and in distress. Whatever was going on lately with his body, it had to find and end now ! It was there, all the time, the thoughts, the images, the sounds in his head of her moans and her calling his name. And he couldn't fight them. He was at the mercy of it.

His teeth sank into his quivering lip. His eyes darted down to the obvious bulge in his pants and the idea of finishing... no. no, no, no. No way he was giving in to these stupid thoughts. He was above this. Gosh, two and a half year of being in a committed relationship and this woman had changed him from a sophisticated graceful man into a pulsing lust-machine. He hated these topics. He hated touching. He hated kissing and making out and - he hated sex. Yes, that was it! He hated it. He hated what it did to him, what it did to her, what happened when they were succumbed to the idea - how was it possible he was so enthralled by it anyway?  
The thought of Lucy, squirming beneath his touch, her eyes, staring back at her, her words and her soft lips opening and closing with grasping air for words and pleased sounds - the way she wrapped him around his finger and made his heart skipped a beat - it must the only reason. To share these moments only with her. No, never could he imagine doing these acts with someone else than her...had he ever told her how much she meant to him? How much he loved her.  
Grasping onto this one thought, he closed his eyes, his hand automatically hovering over his pants, slowly, agonizingly slowly, reaching down and brushing his finger over the zipper of his pants. A light growl rumbled in his throat. Going instantly from nimble stroking to actually unbuttoning the upper buttons and pulling down the zipper, he puffed out air in a relieved matter. Ah yeah, these pants were suffocating him.

Okay, so far so good - but as soon as he heard something echoing through the large lavatory, he cringed, sitting up, legs pulled to his chest. For a moment, he wondered what it was, but after a while, the sounds ebbed away, and silence filled the room again. Was someone here, or not? After ten seconds of complete silence, Gru was sure he indeed was alone. Okay, were was he...?  
He stared down at the smiley underwear and his hand just inches away from the ' problem area '. He knew these were ridiculous, but Lucy always laughed at the sight of this big, rough man wearing these underpants. A smile tugged on his lips. Lucy...  
Pushing his hand through the waistband and his skin, he slowly grazed the cramped muscles on his abdomen. it always felt ten times better when Lucy did it, nevertheless, he heard himself breathing harder than before. Fingers wandered slowly over heated skin, hard muscles pressed against the surface of skin - and then he felt himself. Overcame by the sensitivity alone, he gasped for air and his hips jerked for a moment, then he relaxed. His tongue ran over his lips. Taking the last will of fantasy he had, he imagined it was Lucy holding him there, and then, he started moving his fingers up and down, carefully, slowly with a steady, yet reluctantly pace. The pleasure was instant, pooling in the pit of his stomach. It filled him with a warmth that overcame the coldness on his not-exposed skin and the seat beneath him and his initial mortification melted away with his head dipping.

A low, long "Mmmph"-sound escaped his lungs. Breathing in and out through his nose and occasionally through his mouth with a sharp breath, he imagined ten tiny fingers stroking him. Lovely and tenderly. Lucy's hands would speed up just a notch, one on the length, one at his tip, swiping her index finger around the base, and Gru jolted up, a louder sound escaped his mouth and for a moment he stopped, hoping nobody heard his flustered moan . The hand he used to keep his balance was clawing into the seat beneath him. He repeated these movements a few times, sighing and moaning, but with the time, the pleasure that seemed so overwhelming dwindled. It was no longer enough. His mouth opened to beg for her to go faster, but his hands worked on their own accord, and his grip tightened, pumping up and down in fluid, teasing movements. His breathing grew louder and louder, he hoped it was not audible outside the door. Both his mind and his body were at their odds and it terrified him for he just couldn't stop.

"L-Lucy..." he moaned in a throaty-whisper. The heat around him became hotter and harder to breathe, his heartbeat, the pleased ragged huffing and the imaginary voice of Lucy whispering intimate words towards him was the only sound he heard. Without noticing, he moved faster and faster, and he could feel his end drawing close, so close. Her hands, so soft and small and they moved in such a fluid pace, he was admiring her - in his mind. The pleasure increased so much, it forced him to buck his hips into his hand, thrusting whenever he did something to himself he enjoyed the most -  
And then suddenly, the door opened outside his stall, and he heard voices, coming in chattering and laughing. Two women. Gru silenced, knees drawn close to his chest, one hand holding the seat beneath him, the other still around his throbbing member.

He didn't dare to breathe. The two women seemed not to need to go to the restrooms really, they just stopped in front of the mirrors, and between the seconds where they weren't talking, Gru hoped and prayed his still heavy breathing was not audible for them. Even thinking about what would happen when one of them was finding out a man, also one that was touching himself - he would never dare to leave his own house again.  
"Hey, you hear that...?" one of the women asked. "What?" - "Well - this huffing. Can't you hear it?"  
Oh gosh !  
Gru's heart skipped at least three beats as silence fell once again and both seemed to listen. To his breathing. His chest and lungs started hurting from the lack of breath, but he managed to not give a single tone for at least five seconds that was spend with the two girls outside listening.  
"Nah, i can't hear anything. " - "Well...i thought i heard something - or someone."  
"Someone?"  
"Yeah, sounded like a man." - "Oh, come on now, that is too clichéd, as if there was a guy beating his meat in a girls lavatory."  
Both laughed, and laughed and chatted and laughed more and Gru gave a silent, uncomfortable grunt. But thankfully, both moved out of the restrooms once again, and Gru was left alone again.

At least five minutes Gru just sat there, breathing heavily, propping himself up with his free hand on the wall behind him, his other hand still holding himself and clearing his mind. Wow. That was close, he guessed. The shock probably took away the entire sensation, for once he was looking down, his problem apparently was solved. Slowly, he removed his hand from himself. And before it would start to become worse again, he quickly shoved his underwear up and buttoned his pants, grabbing his coat and leaving. Looking inside the mirror, he was flushed, his face red and his cheeks glowing. He felt slightly dizzy. And ashamed. And he just hoped he could be home soon enough again to never, ever be so desperate to hide in a girls bathroom.

* * *

"Hon, are you coming to bed?"  
Gru cringed. Ripped back into reality, he turned around to see Lucy sitting in the bed, her bed-lamp still lit and her book on her lap. Staring at her, he realized that a second time this evening he must have sunken deep into thoughts, well, more remembering. Ugh, he remembered that incident yesterday, in the congress. No, he hadn't told Lucy yet. She would laugh at him if he would tell her. A sigh escaped his lips. "Ahh...yeah...sorry..." he turned away from the window. He was back home, back with Lucy and the girls and he couldn't be happier. Pushing the duvet aside, he slipped beneath it, nuzzling into his side of the bed. Usually the right side. He was glad she always thought about keeping the order he liked, she probably was aware how much Gru hated changes in his usual schedules. Once he was lying on his back, Lucy didn't stray far away, moved closer to him and asked for permission to behold by him. Without hesitating, his arms wrapped around her, and Gru nuzzled his face into her neck. "Lucy..." he mumbled.

His breath tickled her and she squirmed slightly. "Hehe. Oh Gru...I'm so glad you're back home." she let her hand glide over his cheek, leaving small kisses on his temples. "I can imagine it was hard and boring, huh?"  
"Nerve-wreckin'. Yu forgot Nerve-wreckin'. " He added. "Ah yes, nerve-wrecking as well..."  
They kept close to each other for a couple of seconds. "What were you thinking off, hm? You seemed quite taken by it. It took me some attempts to get your attention" - "Uh...well...about dhe mission, dat's all."  
"Really? Gru, you never think back about missions. Most of the time, you're glad when they over and don't leave marks in your memory."  
"Well, am i not allowed to think back about dhe highly interestin' events dat happened back dhere ?"  
"Uh - sure you are, but -"  
"Nothin' _' But '_, I'm tired and stressed, Lucy, can we stop talkin' about dis now."

But Lucy wouldn't let go. No. He couldn't fool her. The nervous sound in his voice, and how he tried to get off the point as quickly as possible - something has happened, and Lucy needed to know. Her hand gently brushed his biceps, over the soft skin of his arms and beneath the short sleeves of his shirt, feeling the round muscles in his arms. She always did this to sooth him. To make sure she had his attention. And indeed, she felt his breath grew slower and slower until she was sure he was relaxed. "Gru..." she mumbled gently. Not in a question or to get his attention, just because she loved his name and loved speaking it out to him.  
"Gru...Gru...my Gru..."Lucy rested her head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat slowly and steadily. But firm and happily over having her close at his side.  
Gru responded with tightening his hug around her, his face buried in the crook of her neck. Her scent and her gentleness and patience with him sometimes was overwhelmingly sweet and it made him sigh and kiss her neck gently.  
"I'm sorry." - "It's okay, Gru...it's okay..."  
She hunched her shoulders to make him look at her. "But you know that you can trust me, right? You can tell me anything..."  
"I- i know." he nodded, biting his lip.  
"So...what happened? You seem so...distant, all the time..." her face shifted. "Aren't I'm attractive to you anymore...?"  
"V-Vha-vhat?! No, i- i mean, yes, i mean - Lucy, I love yu, and i love anythin' about yu." he pulled her close once again. "I love yur smell and the way yurhair falls on yur shoulder, i love yur eyes and yur freckles, and yur nose - yu're beautiful to me-"  
Lucy noticed he was kind of stumbling over his words, so she placed her fingers on his lips. "Honey...thank you. I'm sorry for thinking this, but - Gru, I know something is wrong. Please, please tell me."

Gru hesitated. "I don't want to hassle you -"  
Lucy stared intensively into his eyes, her hand reaching to cup his cheek, soft fingers running over his cheekbones. His eyes fluttered close, a breath escaped his lips.  
He leaned his head into her palm. " I want to help you..." she smiled, and he nodded. And then he sat up, onto his knees, she followed suit.  
"A'right, so, here is...dhe thing..." with shaking hands, he grasped her hands, sipped in a deep breath and then sighed. "Uhm...yu...yu know i alvays had difficulties vith...tellin' vhat i vant and need in...uhm...yu know."  
She nodded, fully understanding what he meant, which was a huge relief to him. "But recently - i had dis...dis feelin' on loneliness. I kept thinkin' about yu, and...each time i think about yu, it's alvays and only about...yu...naked...in dhe shower...or holdin' me...and ...all dat stuff."

Lucy blinked, and then she blushed slightly. "So, you had wet dreams about me?" - "N-No...well...yes..." he hunched his shoulders in shame. " O-One time vas vhen yu were gone and i vas alone vith dhe gurls. I started thinkin' about us. A-And dhen on my mission - twice. It was drivin' me insane. Yu were dhere all dhe time, but dhen yu were gone again, and..." He had noticed that she had come closer, and she slightly parted his knees to sit between his legs. "i missed...touchin' yu...and...and it made me crazy, it made me du things i never did before, and I tried to deny it, and..."  
He gulped loudly, finally daring to stare back into her eyes.  
"I missed yu. I missed yu horribly."  
Lucy smiled, closing in inches and inches, until she rested her body against him, hands on his chest, head leaned against his shoulders. "Oh, Gru...i missed yu too" she purred, her lips vibrating against his neck. He shivered, but he kept talking.  
"I feel like...i feel like i never told yu often enough, but - i love yu. I love yu, and I wish i culd be vith yu forever and-"  
"Gru...?" - "Y-yes...?"  
"Do you want to have sex with me?" she asked. And he nodded. "Then please, tell me. Tell me what you want and need."

Her voice has changed into that silk-like rasp, enough to make his heart beat louder and faster, his hands sweaty and his throat dry.  
"I-I...Lucy...I...I I vuld like to...to uhm..." he looked back at her, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "I-I vant yu. And...i need yu."  
Lucy smiled widely, her arms clasping around his neck to pull him into a deep kiss. Without hesitation, he pulled her body towards him, with his own arms flung around her thin body. They merged together, carefully and hesitantly first, but the intensity grew rapidly. Kisses went from soft and deep to passionate and hastily within moments. Gru pried his lips apart, forcing Lucy to open her mouth for him, gasping and letting a soft moan escape her lungs once she felt his tongue grazing her lips, and entering her mouth timidly. They broke the kiss shortly, only to sink their mouths against each other once again.

"Mhhh...Gru..." she purred with the less amount of power in her voice that he hadn't sucked out from her yet. "Hmm...?" he mumbled as if he felt obliged to answer her, while his mouth pressed down on the small hollow in her neck that was so soft and kissable...she squirmed shortly, and dipped her head back for more access. "Just so- ahh...j-just so you know...i missed you too." her hands on his cheeks, she pushed him away to look into her eyes. they were big and dilated, and once she looked back in his, she knew he felt the same passionate longing as she does.  
"And I dreamed of you as well...mhhh...multiple times..." her voice fell into a singsong. He had attached his lips back to her skin, now fumbling with her shirt, carefully removing it to reveal her naked self to him. He would take in and cherish the sight later - the urge to feel and taste needed to be satisfied yet.  
Gru chuckled. "Well, I am irresistible, ain't I?"

She scoffed, pulling him down into the sheets where he settled between parted legs, a place he knew but yet seemed so undiscovered to him, yet it was like they were meant for each other. his arms beneath her form, running in slow and admiring strokes down her waist and up her leg, stroking the inner walls of her thighs and up again to cradle her head, sucking in the scent of her hair and her skin and kissing her ears and her neck. He was blinded by emotions. All of her was so wonderful , so incredible, he wondered if she even knew that. She gave a satisfied little sigh, her hips rolling against him. He returned, eagerly grinding down onto her - it made her yelp in surprisingly satisfaction. "S-Sorry..." he mumbled. "Ohh, Gruu..." was all he heard from her, a long, happy moan. Her fingers gripped for his shirt and his pants and pulled them away from his body in one go, Gru awkwardly trying to get rid of them as well and as fast as possible. And here they were, bare naked, eyes fixed on each others bodies with eyes filled with desire.  
"Yu're beautiful..." he breathed. Lucy blushed, drawing her knees a bit closer together. With affectionate patterns, her hand stroked over his shoulders and his upper arms, the muscles she never really had, giving them particular caressing. His body, the few tiny strings of black hair on his chest and his big torso - so huggable, so soft, so warm and comforting - he was like a huge bear to cuddle and to cradle and to wrap around herself like a warm Gru-blanket.  
"So are yu..." she whispered back after her hands had found almost every inch of skin on his body she could reach, drawing lazy patterns and strokes around his shoulder blades.

They continued kissing, exploring, Gru pushed his fingers between hers and held her arm firmly on the sheets as he lowered down to give her breasts little butterfly kisses and little sucks and massaged them with care with the hand he propped himself onto. Her sighs and moans and occasional giggles made him stiffen up as new waves of pleasurable throbbing and pulsing went through his body. He kept these movements, until Lucy pulled him by his shoulders up to her face, kissing him and reaching for him to gently give a few teasing strokes. He gasped, falling into moans, concentrating on each movement her hand was doing on his body. Oh jesus, this was really happening - this was not a dream. Not a fantasy. "Oh, Lucy..." he whimpered with his face buried inside her shoulder.  
She smiled, happy to hear his voice in these tones to the point she stopped and heard him give a sound in protest.  
"Shhh...you'll have something better than my hand in a few minutes." she let out a soft chuckle.  
"How confident of yu." he teased, making lucy pout playfully.  
"C'mere..." Gru whispered, with his arms pushing beneath her body to heave her up and meet his lips, tongues dancing against each others, hands stroking and clawing and gently scratching over the surfaces of their bodies. He drew away shortly to look back at her, into her green yes, so pure and clear tonight - and she nodded, giving him the access he needed. He gently positioned himself above her, grazing her softest core to make her moan in anticipation, before he slowly entered. And he was greeted with the overwhelming hotness and softness he loved so much to feel, just by her and nobody else and he heard her moan louder than ever this night, and he struggled to keep his groan as silent as possible as well.

Then he looked at her, seeing the raw lust glistening inside her pupils. She didn't say a word, other than " I love you..."  
her breath brushed his cheek, sending his mind reeling. He fell into her, pushing, and pulling away, the harsh shudders of the oh so sweet friction sending Gru shudders down his spine and he couldn't talk, and he couldn't think and all he was aware of was her, her and only her in his arms, with his face nuzzled into her hair and his hips rolling against hers, the sweet moans she let out each time he re-entered.  
_I love you too, and you are so beautiful and you are more important than anything i have discovered and i love you, and i feel like my tummy his filled with warmth and comfort and butterflies and i love you and yu are more beautiful than the universe and the moon and i love you more than my own life and i can't breathe without you in this room and this is so perfect and you are grander than my work and the stars and sunshine and you make me laugh and you make me angry and i love you and you give me tranquility and you help me and i love you and you challenge me, and you make me think harder and you love me regardless of who I am and i love you and oh jesus, and i could have never thought love would feel this good and you make me stronger, and braver and you are the dark side and the light side of the moon, and oh lucy, and I wish this never ends and you're too wonderful and i love you from the first minute I saw you, i love you so much, my lucy -"_

And suddenly a constricting tightness pulsed around him, cutting off his words as he listened to Lucy's voice calling out his name in pure bliss, with a long and loud moan, nails clawing into his shoulders, but he opened his mouth and continued gibbering sweet words in the heat of the moment, like something as 'mother of my children ' and ' marry me ', but Lucy couldn't hear, she was caught in this moment and her voice and her heat radiating off of her and when she opened her eyes to look deep into his, he was blinded by pleasure, groaning into her shoulder in a voice only he could make, loud and dark and yet so vulnerable, sending him a hard wave of heat and emotions and pleasure through his body until his power was gone, and he collapsed on top of her.  
He stopped counting the seconds and minutes, probably hours they laid there, breathing, staring into each others eyes, watching as sweat rinsed down their foreheads and their bodies.  
"Oh...Gru..." she finally breathed in a voice that was nearly broke, her hand on her mouth. She cried. Gru felt like something inside him died. Oh god. Oh god, oh god - he hurt her, didn't he?  
"L-Lucy...Lucy..." he pulled away and hovered over her to see the damage he had caused. "Lucy, did i injure yu badly?"  
"N-No..."  
"I'm...I'm so sorry, Lucy..."  
"Sorry...?" she mumbled. "Sorry for what...?"  
"I-I lost control, didn't I-?"

Lucy seemed to find this highly amusing, for she cried through her tears, sniffing and then she sighed so melancholically happy, with her hands reaching for his face.  
"You said all these beautiful things to me...in that matter...yes, you lost control." another tear fell down her cheek. Things he had said...? He spoke?  
"You were whispering into my ear, the whole time. You said i was more beautiful than the universe and the moon and i was better than sunshine...and how much you love me..."  
Their eyes never left each other, both lovely caressing the other. "This was the most beautiful thing someone ever had said to me..."  
Gru felt his heart sink into the ocean of endless love, drowning and falling into it's depth. Where nothing hurt and nothing existed but him and her.  
And as he closed his eyes and woke up a few moments later, both were wrapped into a huge hug, arms firmly embracing the other, legs tangled into each others, chest on chest beneath the duvet and this was the moment he was certain - she was the woman he wanted to die for. To spend his life with. To grow old with and never let her go again. Ever. 

* * *

**Well, you guys wanted more smut and feels - there you have it! Gosh i know it kinda doesn't fit into the idea of "scenes", but yet**  
**it was still more important for me to put it into a new section that would have been the NSFW version of this fanfiction,**  
** called "Scenes after dark". If that is going to be a thing? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, we'll see.**


End file.
